All 36 governors assure that better wages for workers will surely come
Before the labour unions relaxed the nationwide strike on 4 June, it was agreed that federal officials together with state governments and the organised private sector would beat the initial proposal in a week.
Every part of Nigeria appears to be ticking like clockwork based on 36 governors of the federation banding together with World Bank representatives and a few federal officials yesterday to assure workers pushing for higher minimum wages, deservedly, that something good will come out of the ongoing negotiations with the labour unions – a communique published after the meetup captured this.
In early June starting from the third day of the month, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led a nationwide strike that sent the entire Nigeria space into an apocalyptic pause.
Between Monday 3 June, until most of the following evening by which time the organised labour had declared a temporary pause because of persuasions by President Bola Tinubu’s team promising to revise their ₦62,000 minimum wage offer, which was weak by NLC’s position on things.
While the strike lasted for up to 30 hours, air passengers were stranded because there wasn’t any transportation available to get them to and fro airports, talk less of checking them in or out. On the side, electricity was cut from businesses and homes and no one wants that to be repeated.
Before the labour unions relaxed the nationwide strike on 4 June, it was agreed that federal officials together with state governments and the organised private sector would beat the initial proposal in a week. Still, there was the mostly moody Eid-el-Kabir holiday putting a damper on things.
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At the same time, most NLC and TUC top execs were out in Geneva Switzerland to attend the International Labour Organisation’s 112th annual conference that ended exactly seven days after they called off the strike.
Since then, President Bola Tinubu has been to South Africa for the swearing-in ceremony of the country’s re-elected president, Cyril Ramaphosa and only returned home to Nigeria on Thursday 20 June – five days later, the Federal Executive Council announced the stepping down of a memorandum compiled by the Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage.
According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after the council meeting at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, 25 June, stepping down the memo would allow for broader conversation with relevant parties before a bill is transmitted to the National Assembly for legislative input.
In the background of this reads the interesting parts of a Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) communique published yesterday.
The title of the document, signed by Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq was: Governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have assured Nigerians that better wages will result from the ongoing negotiations between the government, private sector and organised labour after listening to presentations by the Acting Country Director of the World Bank, Mr Taimur Samad; the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy & Tax Reforms Committee Mr Taiwo Oyedele and Minister of Women Affairs.
Communiqué issued at the end of the 7th Meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum held on Wednesday, 26th June 2024. pic.twitter.com/hWp31oOJPR
— Nigeria Governors' Forum (@NGFSecretariat) June 27, 2024
All these personalities motivated the fourth point that rounded off the communique that partly reads: Forum discussed the New National Minimum Wage. The Governors agreed to continue engaging with key stakeholders to reach a mutually agreeable solution.
We remain dedicated to the process and assure that better wages will result from the ongoing negotiations. If this fresh promise holds off rumours brewing about an imminent resumption of labour union-inspired strike, it remains to be seen.
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Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
