Federal Government has announced that it will consider minimum wage increase for Nigeria workers.
This was revealed after an extensive meeting with Trade Union Congress (TUC ) at Presidential Villa, Abuja on Sunday night.
Other demands that would be considered are tax holiday for certain categories of people as well as reverting to status quo as negotiations continue.
Government delegates acknowledged the feasibility of the demands and said the demands would be presented to President Bola Tinubu with immediate effect.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Mr. Dele Alake, being spokesperson for Government delegates told State house correspondents that most of the demands ” are not impracticable” and they would be tabled before the president.
Alake said the president’s decisions will be communicated to labour leaders at the next round of negotiations fixed for Tuesday.
He, however, confirmed that the government has, as demanded by the trade union, agreed to an immediate upward review of the national minimum wage as a tripartite committee which comprises states, organised labour and the private sector will be set immediately to midwife the process.
Asked if other demands on the organised labour that the new pump price of petrol be reversed pending conclusions of negotiations, Alake said the decision would likely be taken on Tuesday when both sides meet again.
He reiterated that there is no disagreement with Nigeria Labour Congress( NLC) over their demand for review of the minimum wage. He said their absent could be attributed to inability to finalise with the NEC of the union before the meeting.
Notwithstanding negotiations will continue with all labour unions and stakeholders, he said.
President of TUC, Festus Osifo said union is hopeful as the Federal Government promised to look into their demands, and top on the list is the upward review of the current minimum wage among others.
Osifo said some progress has been made with the negotiations, the union would still brief its members ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
