The Buhari Media Organisation, BMO, has appealed to the Nigerian Labour Congress to shelve its proposed November 6, 2018, nationwide strike over its agitation for a new national minimum wage, warning that the strike would have far-reaching negative effect on the country.
Governors of the 36 states met on Tuesday and adopted N22,500 as the national minimum wage. But the decision angered the NLC which said N30,000 had been agreed on after extensive deliberations.
The state governors’ decision led to the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, announcing it was reverting to its original demand for N66,500.
“The demand for Organised Labour is not N30,000; our demand is N66,500. Let me also put the record straight. The official demand of Organised Labour is N66,500 which from all indexes now we are going to refer back to it,” Ayuba Wabba, NLC president said at a press conference on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.
The NLC and other labour unions had earlier threatened to go on strike on November 6, 2018, if the government does not accept the N30,000 minimum wage.
But in a statement by its Chairman and Secretary, Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke respectively, on Thursday, November 1, 2018, BMO called on Labour to reason with the position of government and return to the negotiation table.
“Government’s position is formed from an understanding of its revenue and expenditure, not because it is selfish, but because it would not propose a sum that it cannot pay,” the statement said.
“It is remarkable that the offer of the federal government, compared to that of the organised private sector and the state governments, is the highest in fact.
“Notwithstanding, while we acknowledge that more can be done for the welfare of the Nigerian worker, we must start from somewhere. The proposition of the federal government to pay N24,500 is a significant increase in the previous minimum wage. It is a good start going forward.”
They further stated that a strike action by labour would have far-reaching negative effect “that would not only affect the Nigerian Government but more painfully, hit hard on the everyday Nigerian people.
“The good thing is that the government is negotiating and willing to sit on the table and improve the working conditions of the Nigerian people. Labour should, in the interest of the Nigerian people, sit on the table with government and heed to their engagements.”
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