The Organised Labour has called on President Bola Tinubu to engage in consultations and reach an agreement with its leadership before transmitting the proposed bill on the new minimum wage to the National Assembly.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the union’s National Executive Committee meeting, which is expected to draw around 300 Labour leaders, has been delayed due to the President’s failure to forward the bill.
President Tinubu had in his Democracy Day broadcast announced that there was a consensus on the new minimum wage, but Labour leaders have disputed this claim. The President also promised to send an executive bill to the National Assembly very soon. However, nearly a month has passed without any such action, leaving Labour and Nigerians in uncertainty.
A key Labour leader expressed disappointment and frustration with the delay, stating that the union cannot proceed without knowing the government’s intentions. The leader added that there is need for the President to intervene and consult with Labour directly before sending the bill to the National Assembly, warning that unilateral action could be perceived as taking sides.
He said, “As things stand, we cannot really do anything until we are aware of what they are trying to do. The delay in sending the bill to the National Assembly is even the reason we have yet to call for our NEC meeting. The President is supposed to decide on the impasse and then forward the bill to them. They need to come up with an official statement before we can decide on what to tell our people.
“If he (Tinubu) singlehandedly takes a decision, you know it can’t be the same as the decision of the National Assembly. He needs to send the bill so the lawmakers can amend whatever he is sending and call for a public hearing. So we are waiting for him to make his move.
“But if he is wise as we believe, he will not make that move without consulting us directly before even sending the bill. If he sends the bill based on the position of his government, it means he has taken sides. The wiser thing is for him to intervene since there is a stalemate with the people he sent to negotiate with us.
“But again, we know the Presidency has no idea of what to do and they don’t consult. You only need to sit with some of these people in government to know they are empty. That is the situation at the moment.”
The source ruled out the possibility of a strike if the government insists on the proposed N62,000 minimum wage.
The last joint National Executive Council meeting of the NLC and TUC was held on June 4, and talks between the government and Labour broke down on May 28 over the disputed minimum wage proposal.
