FG mulls minimum wage review hours after NLC’s decision to embark on strike over fuel subsidy removal
The federal government, on Friday, June 2, said that it is considering an increase in the national minimum wage to reflect the current economic realities in the country.
This development came barely 24 hours after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatened to embark on a nationwide strike from Wednesday, June 7, over the removal of subsidy on fuel.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu, during his inaugural speech on Monday, May 29, 2023, announced the removal of subsidy on fuel.
Tinubu’s declaration led to an increase in panic buying with some filling stations across the country pegging the pump price of petrol to as high as N700 per litre.
Also, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), on Wednesday, May 31, announced new pump prices in different states.
In addition, some representatives of the federal government also met with the leaders of NLC, however, the meeting ended in deadlock.
However, the national president of NLC, Joe Ajaero, on Friday, specifically said that the union would not go back on its decision to withdraw its services if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) fail to reverse the increase of the price of fuel to N184 per litre.
Ajaero also directed NLC’s affiliates, including state councils and industrial unions, to mobilize workers for a nationwide strike and protest if nothing was done by the federal government to embrace the status quo as far the price of petrol was concerned.
He stated that, “The NEC directed that the leadership of NLC should be cautious of negotiations with people without portfolios.
“It is destructive and until the government is properly constructed and the people who will negotiate with us are people with mandate and capacity, the negotiations may not be result to anything tangible.
“Consequently, the NLC decided that if by Wednesday, June 7, the NNPC, a private limited liability company that illegally announced a price policy in the oil sector refuses to reverse, the NLC and all its affiliates will withdraw their services and commence protest nationwide until this is complied with and that NNPC.
“The NLC directs all state councils and industrial unions to commence mobilization with immediate effect,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, while receiving members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) led by the Chairman and Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, at the presidential villa on Friday, said that an improved livelihood for Nigerians remained the top priority of his administration through more people-focused economic policies.
Tinubu said that, “We need to do some arithmetic and soul searching on the minimum wage in order to reflect the current economic realities in the country.
“We will have to take a look at that together, and we must strengthen the source and application of our revenue.”
The president also urged the governors to seize the opportunity of being chosen among millions of citizens in their states to make a difference in the lives of people, adding that he would work for the benefit of Nigerians.
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