– As FG, Labour adjourn talks to next Thursday
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — President Bola Tinubu has appealed to organized labour to accept his government’s proposed minimum wage of N62,000, a far cry from the N250,000 demanded by labour.
The talks, adjourned until next Thursday, saw the President suggesting a review of the minimum wage law to allow for more frequent adjustments.
“Why must we adjust wages every five years? Why not two, why not three years? What is a problem today, can be eased up tomorrow”, President Tinubu said.
Labour leaders remain adamant, insisting on a higher wage to reflect the country’s economic realities; the stalemate continues, with both sides digging in.
“We cannot accept anything less than N250,000. The federal government’s offer is ridiculous as it cannot feed a family of four for two weeks,” said Comrade Joe Ajaero, National President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC.
The negotiations will resume next week, with hopes of finding a mutually acceptable solution.