The Federal Government says it is ready to offer higher than N60,000 national minimum wage it earlier proposed to the tripartite committee deliberating on the issue.

The government decision was disclosed at a meeting of the committee convened on Monday night by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), after the Organised Labour embarked on an indefinite strike to press its demand on the new minimum wage.

In a circular jointly issued by the committee members at the end of the meeting, it was disclosed that President Bola Tinubu expressed his commitment to a national minimum wage that is higher than N60,000.

The circular partly read: “Arising from the above, the tripartite committee is to meet every day for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable national minimum wage.

“Labour in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment in above undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment.

Banks, schools, offices shut over labour strike

“The committee also resolved that no worker will be victimised as a result of the industrial action.”

In attendance at the meeting were Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

For the Organised Labour, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, were present at the meeting.

It would be recalled that following the negotiation by the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage and subsequent withdrawal of Labour from negotiation and its indefinite strike, the government had convened the meeting with the unions.

A last-minute intervention on Sunday night by the National Assembly to prevent the nationwide strike was futile as the meeting with the government representatives and labour leaders ended in a deadlock.

The government had insisted on N60,000 as the new minimum wage, while labour demanded N495,000 as what was acceptable to the unions.

The Star