The Labour Party (LP) has labelled the N494,000 minimum wage demand by organised labour as “unrealistic,” urging the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to reconsider their ongoing indefinite strike and resume negotiations with the federal government.
The NLC and TUC have been pressing for new national minimum wages of N615,500 and N494,000 respectively, citing inflation and economic hardships. The indefinite strike commenced on Monday following the federal government’s refusal to meet these demands.
Obiora Ifoh, the spokesperson for the Labour Party, addressed the situation on Monday, urging the labour unions to suspend the strike to prevent exacerbating the economic challenges faced by Nigerians.
“Our immediate reaction is that the organised labour should not throw Nigerians into more hardship,” Ifoh stated.
“Nigerians are already grappling with a lot of challenges and we do not need to exacerbate the situation.”
He elaborated on the party’s stance, describing the proposed N494,000 minimum wage as unsustainable.
“I think the demand for N494,000 minimum wage is unrealistic. It is really unrealistic,” Ifoh remarked.
“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.”
Ifoh emphasized the importance of continued negotiation to reach a more feasible solution.
“Negotiation should continue until they get something better,” he advised.
“Asking Nigerian workers to stay at home will affect everything, including the cost of living and Nigerians cannot afford that now. Negotiation is not a one-off thing.”
He also noted the government’s stance and the need for a pragmatic approach.
“If the federal government is not willing to go above N60,000 minimum wage, I think that the organised labour should work with what is available while it continues to negotiate,” he suggested.
Acknowledging the government’s current challenges, Ifoh concluded, “We know this government has not gotten it right. It is still trying to test the waters.”
