According to a report from Channelstv, the demand for a new minimum wage by organized labour remains flexible, as stated by Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo on Friday.
Osifo emphasized that the unions are open to adjustments, despite the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president Joe Ajaero's camp insisting on N250,000 as the new salary for workers.
Channelstv reports that President Tinubu has yet to decide on the new minimum wage after offering to pay Nigerian workers N62,000.
Amid ongoing discussions on a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers, organized labour has clarified that it is not fixated on a specific figure.
President Tinubu has proposed N62,000, while the NLC has demanded N250,000. However, the TUC has stated that "no figure is sacrosanct."
The tripartite committee on minimum wage concluded its deliberations last week, submitting two figures to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for consideration as the new minimum wage.
While the government and the organized private sector proposed N62,000, the NLC and TUC demanded N250,000.
On Friday, June 14, TUC President Festus Osifo, during an appearance on Channels Television's breakfast program, "The Morning Brief," reiterated that no figure is unchangeable, leaving room for adjustments.
This statement followed the NLC's firm stance, led by Joe Ajaero, rejecting any amount less than N250,000 offered by Tinubu's administration.
Osifo explained, "When we give figures, there is always room to meander and make adjustments. No figure is sacrosanct or cast in stone."
He further clarified that previous industrial actions were partly due to the government's inflexibility on the proposed N60,000 minimum wage, where no additional amount was considered.
"One of the reasons we went on industrial action was because when it got to N60,000, they said they couldn't even add one naira to it. This, along with delays, led to the industrial action."
The ongoing negotiations underscore the need for flexibility and compromise to reach an acceptable new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
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