Labour reduces demand on Minimum Wage to N500,000

IN a bid to shift ground so as to ensure speedy conclusion of negotiation on new national Minimum Wage, the Organised Labour at the ongoing Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage meeting has reduced its demand from N615,000 to N500,000.

A source at the meeting told Vanguard that the government team is adamant about N54,000, complaining of non-availability of fund and the inability of the private sector to pay.

But the private sector has made additional N3,00 taking up its offer to N57,000 from the initial N54,000.

According to the source, “Government has agreed that NLC is using evidence-based presentation. But they argue that eight states are not paying or not fully implementing the 2019 minimum wage.”

The source further said, “Government is talking of non-availability of fund. They are also talking about the inability of the private sector to pay.”

On Labour shifting of ground by the organised labour, the source said, “Labour has been requested to shift in response to the Government. They complied and came down to N500,000.”

He said that the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma was present at the meeting.

“”The Imo State Governor has stepped in. He is not a member of the committee but it is good that there is at least a governor, as the six governors in the committee have been regularly absent.”