The Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume has led some ministers and government officials that are part of the ongoing negotiation with the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage to brief President Bola Tinubu on the outcome of their meeting with Organised Labour.
At the meeting, The SGF informed the striking labour unions that President Bola Tinubu is committed to paying a minimum wage above 60,000 naira, but did not specify the exact amount the federal government is proposing.
Organised Labour decided to down tools after its offer of 494,000 naira as the minimum wage was rejected, and the federal government refused to budge despite pressure from labour unions.
Among those who accompanied the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to brief President Tinubu on the outcome of their engagement with the NLC and TUC were the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State, Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and the Group CEO of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari.
There is now respite following the NLC’s decision to temporarily suspend the strike, but the federal government must also ensure that the one-week negotiation timeline is maximized to reach a consensus on a new national minimum wage.
