The Labour Party (LP) has called on workers’ unions to re-negotiate with the government for a new minimum wage instead of embarking on industrial action.
National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh emphasized that a strike would only increase the hardship and suffering of Nigerians already grappling with numerous challenges.
Ifoh expressed concerns over the unions’ demand for a N494,000 minimum wage, labelling it as unrealistic.
“It is a figure that cannot be sustained because it will imply that Nigeria will take all that money it has to pay the civil servants,” he said.
Ifoh urged the labour unions to persist in negotiations with the Federal Government to reach an agreeable figure.
He stated, “Negotiation should continue until they get something better. Asking Nigerian workers to stay at home will affect everything, including the cost of living and Nigerians cannot afford that now.”
He acknowledged the government’s current offer of N60,000 and encouraged the unions to accept it temporarily while continuing negotiations.
“We know this government has not gotten it right. It is still trying to test the waters,” he added.
The call for continued dialogue comes in response to the nationwide strike declared by organized labour to demand a new national minimum wage for workers.
Despite earlier pleas from the Federal Government for consideration, the strike commenced following a series of unsuccessful negotiations involving the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), and government representatives.
On May 28, labour representatives walked out of the Tripartite Committee meeting on minimum wage after the government raised its offer from N57,000 to N60,000.
Initially, the government and the Organised Private Sector proposed figures of ₦48,000, ₦54,000, and ₦57,000, all of which were rejected by labour.
Organized labour had initially proposed ₦615,000 as a new minimum wage, later reducing it to ₦497,000, and then to ₦494,000 to reflect the current rising cost of living.
In a related development, the Accord Party has called on the federal government to take urgent steps to stabilize commodity prices in Nigeria, citing the growing concerns over the rising cost of consumer goods and food items.
Dele Oladeji, the party’s Lagos chair, emphasized the need for immediate action during an interview in Lagos on Wednesday.
He pointed out that high import duties, levies, and fees at various points in the supply chain, including ports, roads, and markets, were significant contributors to the persistently high prices of goods in the country.
