NLC, FG dialogue over new minimum wage ends with no agreement

Labour unions have suspended their planned nationwide strike over new minimum wage implementation as their dialogue with the Federal Government ended without an agreement.

Organised labour had on Tuesday, October 15, met with some representatives of the federal government to avert a nationwide strike by workers, slated for Wednesday, October 16, 2019.

The meeting which was said to have lasted for hours, only resulted in labour resolving to suspend the strike, as both parties (federal goverment and labour) agreed to continue their talks today (Wednesday, October 16).

Labour suspends October 16 planned strike (illustrative image) [Punch] ece-auto-gen

Prior to the meeting, labour was demanding a 29 percent salary increase for officers at salary grade levels 07 to 14 and 24 percent adjustment for officers at salary grade levels 15 to 17, while the federal government proposed an 11 percent increase for officers at grade level 07 to 14 and 6.5 percent increase for workers at grade level 15 to 17.

During the meeting, labour reduced its demands to 20 and 25 percent, while government increased its offer to 17 percent for workers at grade levels 07 to 09, 15 percent for those at grade levels 10 to 14 and 12 percent for workers at grade level 15 to 17, Punch reports.

A source who spoke to Punch and was part of the workers' team, said both sides made concessions, which resulted to labour's demand of documents.

The documents demanded from the federal government, according to the source, is to support its claims during the negotiation on the new minimum wage adjustments.

"In addition to the Federal Government concession, the team also introduced innovations which is strange to us. But we have asked for documents to back that position. However, whatever figures presented now at the meeting are mere proposals that labour is going home to examine critically before tomorrow’s (today) meeting," the source was quoted.

Since the tussle between the labour and the federal government over the minimum wage started, it is on record that the two parties have engaged in often fruitless meetings.

The dialogues so far initiated have led to anxiety and frustrations among the civil servants, and the general public at large.