Nigerian labour organization negotiating with government to increase minimum wage

Sources reveal that government has capped its maximum limit to N25,000 citing clause of International Labour Organisation.

The Nigerian organised labour and private sector concluded the negotiations with the Nigerian Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is demanding minimum wage high to Naira 30,000 to Naira 18,000. 

NLC with Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) is trying to strike a deal to increase the minimum wage to N30,000 but the sources reveal that government has capped its maximum limit to N25,000 citing clause of International Labour Organisation.  

Ayub Wabba the president of NLC told The Guardian in Abuja: "The meeting was reconvened on Thursday and it worked on the same Thursday and Friday last week. The meeting actually concluded all negotiations on Friday. There was a sub-committee on the issue of the figure, which was chaired by the minister. The committee had four scenarios. Those four scenarios were a collection of facts and data that were proposed by the tripartite body and some specialised institutions that included NECA, NLC, TUC and government. At the end of the deliberation, a figure was arrived at and a motion was moved in that respect and it was adopted."

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country’s labour force has increased to 85 million, underemployment also increased by 18 million.