The National Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo has reaffirmed organised labour’s demand for a N500,000 minimum wage, saying the quantity displays the monetary burden on Nigerian employees amid the rising price of residing.
Olowoyo stated labour remained dedicated to the proposed wage however was open to cheap negotiations with the Federal Government to succeed in an settlement that might enhance employees’ welfare.
He spoke throughout an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, following a gathering between organised labour and the Federal Government that lasted greater than six hours to debate employees’ welfare and measures to cushion the influence of rising petrol costs.
The labour chief additionally welcomed the Federal Government’s settlement to supply employees with N70,000 transport help month-to-month for six months, starting in November, describing the intervention as a optimistic consequence of negotiations.
According to him, the settlement demonstrated the federal government’s willingness to handle employees’ considerations, including that labour anticipated the federal government to honour its dedication and implement the intervention as agreed.
“I think with the recent development that happened today, the negotiation lasted over six hours, and with the outcome of the meeting, I think it is a good omen,” Olowoyo stated.
He defined that the transport help was designed to learn employees in any respect ranges, together with these on the grassroots, following considerations over the rising price of transportation and the strain of upper gas costs on family budgets.
He maintained, nevertheless, that the N70,000 intervention ought to function momentary aid whereas discussions on a brand new minimum wage continued.
“The template of N500,000 is still subsisting. And at the same time, if government is able to dance around N500,000, we would be alright to support the President. So I want to believe that, like I told you, we are not going to be rigid, but at the same time, we’ll be reasonable,” he stated.
The JNPSNC secretary defined that the proposed minimum wage was knowledgeable by the duties employees shoulder, together with offering for his or her instant households, paying college charges and assembly different important family bills.
He burdened that though labour was not ready to desert its demand, it remained prepared to barter with the federal government to reach at a mutually acceptable determine.
Olowoyo additionally expressed confidence that the settlement reached with the federal government would result in additional discussions, significantly on the institution of a tripartite committee to barter a brand new minimum wage, one in all labour’s key calls for.
He stated the federal government’s choice to enter into an settlement with organised labour was a sign of its dedication, including that labour anticipated the method to progress in direction of an enduring decision of the minimum wage subject.
According to him, the settlement would profit employees past the unions instantly concerned within the negotiations, because the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has greater than 40 affiliate unions.
He defined that the negotiations initially concerned the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council and eight unions earlier than the NLC joined the method, broadening the scope of illustration.
Olowoyo stated the end result ought to subsequently be seen as a collective achievement for Nigerian employees, no matter whether or not their unions had been instantly concerned within the preliminary discussions.
He additional expressed confidence that the federal government would implement the N70,000 month-to-month transport intervention, describing the signed settlement as a dedication that each events had been anticipated to respect.
The six-month help interval is anticipated to run from November 2026 to April 2027. Olowoyo stated organised labour hoped negotiations on a brand new minimum wage can be concluded earlier than the intervention expires.
“We know government is going to implement it because that is commitment already,” he stated.
He added that labour accepted the transport help as a result of it thought of the intervention an affordable step in direction of addressing employees’ instant challenges, whereas sustaining its demand for a better minimum wage.
Olowoyo stated the approaching months would offer a possibility for the federal government and organised labour to resolve excellent points and attain an settlement that might higher mirror the financial realities going through Nigerian employees.
