The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has issued a list of requests, which the federal government says it would take into consideration.
After an almost three-hour discussion between the Federal administration and the TUC, the Federal Government’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, told the State House reporters that the administration would also consider how realistic the proposals were.
The administration is thinking of giving workers tax breaks, among other things.
President Bola Tinubu, according to Alake, would set up a tripartite committee with representation from the corporate sector, organized labor, and states to investigate the dynamics of the minimum wage increase and come to a mutually agreeable conclusion.
According to him, there is no disagreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over their demand for a review of the minimum wage or a return to the status quo, noting that the FG representatives will meet with the President to crystallize decisions on the demands.
He added that the absence of the NLC does not translate to an isolation of the group in the discussion but that the FG is making efforts to reach them as the parties agreed to reconvene on Tuesday 24 hours before a scheduled strike by the NLC.
Meanwhile, the TUC has maintained that the Federal Government, in the interest of social dialogue, reverts the fuel price while discussions continue.
President of the TUC, Festus Osifo, said the union is hopeful as the Federal Government promised to look into their demands, the top of which is a review of the current minimum wage among others.
“The demands are so long, they are so many. Part of it is the demand for a (review) of the minimum wage and we stated that for us, it is quite apt that the minimum today is not a living wage, as we all know. The value of the minimum wage since it was negotiated, has plummeted to a very abysmal level as it is today.”