The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to fulfilling the payment of the N35,000 wage award and addressing the issue of the new minimum wage, as agreed with the labour unions in 2023.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, made this announcement during her visit to the office of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Abuja on Wednesday.
As part of the agreement reached in 2023 between the trade unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and TUC, and the Federal Government, a N35,000 wage award was promised to workers for six months, along with a commitment to review the minimum wage in 2024.
During her visit, Minister Onyejeocha emphasized the government’s readiness to fulfill its agreements with the labour unions, specifically highlighting the payment of the N35,000 wage award and addressing the new minimum wage issue.
She stated that the government is focused on expediting the process and maintaining open communication to prevent future strikes, fostering a friendly working environment.
The minister also acknowledged the urgency of the matter, stating, “I do not want to wait for any stakeholder to start agitating, that is why I came to remind you that we are working to make sure they are fulfilled. If there is any that we cannot fulfill now, including the past ones, we will continue our engagements on them.”
In response, Mr Festus Osifo, the TUC President, applauded the minister for her timely and thoughtful visit and commended the government for progress made in fulfilling up to 80% of the agreement with the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
As a reminder, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had earlier proposed a wage award to the Federal Government to mitigate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.
The proposed wage award, led by Joe Ajaero, was separate from the upcoming minimum wage review, scheduled for 2024. Following negotiations, President Bola Tinubu agreed to pay low-grade workers the N35,000 wage award for six months, starting from September 2023. However, in December 2023, TUC President Festus Osifo urged the Federal Government to resume the promised wage award payment, indicating that only September 2023 had been paid at that time.
