FG proposes N62,000 as new minimum wage

The Federal Government of Nigeria has offered labour unions N62,000 as the new national minimum wage for workers in the country.

This was disclosed by Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodinma at a press briefing at end Tripartite Committee negotiation meeting on Friday in Abuja.

According to him, progress has been made in the negotiation of the new minimum wage, adding that the final step is about to be completed.

“The committee has worked so hard and the committee has reach an agreement. The tripartite committee is made up of three parties -the government, the Organised Private Sector(OPS) and the organised labour.

“In the wisdom of the committee, it has put together a recommendation that will be forwarded to Mr President for further action.

“The organised private sector and the Federal Government have agreed on N62, 000 while the organised labour is asking for N250, 000.

“At the end of the day what is important is that we are talking. There is no hostility anymore. And the national anxiety is going to be relaxed as soon as this is made public,” He said.

Meanwhile, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, highlighted that the Federal Government have made a recommendation to the sum of N62, 000 as the minimum wage.

“But for us we felt that with the current economic hardship and the difficulty in the land the sum of N250, 000 should be what will be okay for the minimum wage.

“We are going to sign a report and forward this position to Mr President. This committee is to make recommendation to him.

”So we will forward it to him and Mr President will forward it to the National Assembly.” he noted.

Chairman of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage in his remarks, said that the proposed minimum wage recommendation was a result of a consensus reached, being the reason for the set up of the committee.

“In 2018, it was the other way. The organised private sector and the organised labour recommended N30, 000 as minimum wage while the government side recommended N24,000.

“Two figures were recommended to the then President for his consideration and onward transmission to the National Assembly for it to become a law. That is exactly where we are.

“At the end of the day what is important is that we are still talking ,” he said.

He further added that the organised labour is asking for N250.000.