The National Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC may settle for N100,000 minimum wage as the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage commences daily meetings for five days to reach an agreement.
Sources close to labor union on Tuesday said the union leaders were willing to review their demand from N494,000 to N100,000, following the backlash and controversy that trailed their proposal which was considered outrageous and unrealistic.
Despite the intervention of the leadership of the National Assembly, labor embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday, crippling economic activities nationwide.
Banks, airports, public schools and courts were shut, forcing the Federal Government to convene an emergency meeting to find a way out of the impasse.
In a bid to reach a reasonable consensus, the unions on Tuesday announced the suspension of the industrial action for five days after President Bola Tinubu agreed to pay a national minimum wage higher than N60,000 and the tripartite committee pledged its readiness to convene daily until a new minimum wage is announced.
To show his commitment to the negotiation, the President on Tuesday directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage within 48 hours.
Speaking in a recent chat with PUNCH, NLC official said:
“Today’s (Tuesday) meeting was essentially to set an agenda and plan how to complete the assignment within the five days.
“The government representatives did not mention a raise in the N60, 000.
They just set the agenda on what to do and how to go about the negotiation.
There was no mention of any increment.
But labour planned to close the negotiation on N100,000 minimum wage.”
