In a significant development, a mediation meeting facilitated by the National Assembly between the Federal Government and Organised Labour has ended on a positive note.
The meeting which held late Sunday at the Senate, was at the instance of the National Assembly Leadership, as part of efforts to forestall the effects of a nationwide strike action at this time.
At the meeting, stakeholders noting that the position of Organised Labour is valid given the general economic situation in the country, agreed on the need for on-going negotiation to continue, allowing for continuous engagement on the issue of wages.
In his remarks, the President of the Senate cautioned, "While addressing the legitimate concerns of Organised Labour is imperative, we must be mindful that an unsustainable wage increase could trigger inflationary pressures and potentially lead to layoffs. It is crucial that our approach balances the need for fair wages with the overall economic stability of the nation."
Consequently, Organised Labour gave the National Assembly Leadership a period of Eight (8) weeks to engage with stakeholders from the Executive. The Labour Leaders however, declined to call off the nationwide strike action in the immediate as they requested more time to consult their respective National Executive Councils (NEC), and organs, in adherence to the Constitution of their Unions.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, remarked: “I am sure some would recall what I said during the Independence Anniversary lecture, that one thing that this government and this country can do to eliminate corruption in the long-run is to embrace a ‘living wage.’ There are no two ways about it. But we should also be mindful that the issues of numerous decades cannot be repaired within one day. It will be a gradual process.
Among other resolutions reached at the meeting; the Federal Government committed to the immediate implementation of all previous agreements with Labour as authorised by the President. These agreements include the recent Wage Award announced by President Bola Tinubu and the bonus implemented by Government as negotiated by the previous Administration (Amounting to N72,000).
Government further committed to expediting the ongoing nationwide roll-out of conversion to LNG-operated vehicles and address all challenges relating to the supply chain to bring immediate succor on transportation to Nigerian workers.
The leadership of the National Assembly was asked to engage and brief the President on the position of Labour and the need to consider a marginal increase in the interim, to accommodate the position of Labour.
Organised Labour were also charged to deepen advocacy with State Governments and organised private sector to ensure viability and sustainability of the anticipated minimum wage increase.
Jointly Signed:
Senator Yemi Adaramodu
Senate Spokesman
Rep. Akin Rotimi, Jr.
House Spokesman