The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has appealed to organised labour to be considerate and patriotic in their demands in the ongoing negotiation for a new national minimum wage.
Onyejeocha made the appeal in a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja.
NAN reports that during Tuesday’s Tripartite Committee on the Minimum Wage negotiation meeting, the Federal Government had offered Labour N60,000 as the new minimum wage for workers.
The Organised Labour had also presented N494,000 as the new national minimum wage for workers in the country.
The minister said that the federal government had consistently taken steps to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers.
She, therefore, urged labour to recognise that the nation’s economy was still on the path of recovery from the effect of the pandemic and other economic distress.
“We appeal to organised labour and indeed, other relevant stakeholders to be considerate and patriotic in their demands, recognising that our economy is still recovering from the devastating effects of the pandemic and other global economic shocks.
“We are committed to putting the people first and ensuring that our economic policies benefit all Nigerians, not just a select few.
“The government remain dedicated to prioritising the well-being of our citizens and it want to urge all relevant parties to demonstrate patriotism and understanding.
“This is particularly during this critical period when the President, Bola Tinubu, is working diligently to revitalise the economy,” she said.
The minister therefore said the government recognised that the economic challenges faced by Nigerians were complex and multifaceted, and called for a collective effort of all stakeholders to overcome them.
She added that the meeting with organised labour was a significant step in the ongoing efforts to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers.
“As a government, we recognise the importance of ensuring that our citizens receive a decent standard of living, and we are committed to making this a reality.
“After hours of intense negotiations, labour leaders took a recess to consult with other key stakeholders and have pledged to return to the negotiating table for further discussion.
“We welcome this development and are optimistic that our continued engagement will yield a positive outcome.
“In light of the current economic conditions, we have made a concessionary move from N57,000 to N60,000,” she said.
She noted that the increase was a demonstration of government willingness to listen to the concerns of labour and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement.
According to her, “we understand that the current economic landscape is challenging, and we are doing everything in our power to mitigate its effects on our citizens”. (NAN)