The reported tripartite agreement between the Federal Government and Organised Labour where the government said it is ready to “pay higher than N60,000” as minimum wage without a clearcut specification, has been the most trending topic in the social media space since it made the news on Monday.
Recall that in the ambiguous agreement which was reached after a meeting late Monday between the Federal Government and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress TUC at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the government said it would pay Nigerian workers a salary above N60,000 without making a categorical commitment on what the real amount would be.
A statement affirming the agreement read in part: “Further to the negotiation by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (NMW) and subsequent withdrawal of Labour from negotiation, the leadership of the National Assembly intervened on 2nd June, 2024.
“The Organised Labour declared nationwide strike on Monday, 3rd June, 2024 to drive home its demands. The Federal Government, in the National interest, convened a meeting with Labour held in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, on Monday 3rd June, with a view to ending the strike action.
“After exhaustive deliberation and engagement by both parties, the following resolutions were reached:
“The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000; Arising from the above, the Tripartite Committee is to meet everyday 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 (ii) above, undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment; and no worker would be victimized as a result of the industrial action.
“Done in Abuja on the 3rd of June, 2024”.
However, the ambiguous figure has set the online community agog, as X users descended on both the Federal Government and the Labour leaders on what they termed ‘a phantom agreement’.
Among those to fire a salvo yesterday was an X user with the handle @_realkingsley, who said: “I still don’t know why NLC and TUC are falling for the APC prank. Minimum wage above 60k per month is not an agreement”.
