Government convenes conciliatory meeting over minimum wage crisis

The Federal Government has convened a conciliatory meeting with labour leaders and other major stakeholders to resolve the minimum wage impasse and avert the looming strike.

The Guardian learnt that the meeting, which held in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, was to halt the planned November 6 nationwide strike by organised labour.

However, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, told newsmen that everything about the issue had been concluded, stating that there was no need for any meeting to deliberate on a matter that had already been concluded.

He stated that organised labour was only disposed to a gathering where the new minimum wage of N30, 000 would be signed.

Acknowledging that the government team informed labour of the meeting on Wednesday, Wabba noted that they could not make it because of the Central Working Committee and National Executive Council (NEC) meetings of the Trade Union Congress TUC that took place yesterday in Lagos.

When reminded that it was tagged a conciliatory meeting, he retorted: “You can’t conciliate over an issue that has already been concluded. If it is to review the issue for signing, it should be all parties, including the organised private sector.”

The government delegation at the meeting included the ministers of Labour and Employment, Finance as well as Budget and National Planning, Chris Ngige; Zainab Ahmed, and Udoma Udo Udoma.