Comrade Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), expressed optimism about reaching a new minimum wage agreement with the Federal Government, with negotiations set to commence in March 2024. During a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, January 4, 2023, Comrade Ajaero revealed that the government had formally invited organized labor to nominate representatives for the newly established minimum wage committee.
In his statement, Ajaero disclosed, “The Federal Government, through a letter, has requested organized labor to provide our names for the new minimum wage committee. The list was submitted last year, and once the committee is constituted, we will engage in negotiations with the government to reach a consensus.”
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, he emphasized, “The current minimum wage is set to expire in March this year. Therefore, we are optimistic that negotiations for a new minimum wage will be concluded before the expiration date.”
Ajaero also addressed the issue of partial wage payments to Nigerian workers by the Federal Government, clarifying that only one month’s worth of wages had been disbursed thus far. He urged the prompt release of the remaining payments, stating, “All outstanding payments should be released to the workers by the end of January this year.”
