NLC clarifies role in new minimum wage negotiations
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has outlined its role in the upcoming negotiations regarding the national minimum wage, emphasizing its responsibility for establishing a wage floor for workers.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Acting General Secretary Benson Upah detailed the NLC’s position on the negotiation process. The Congress clarified that the national minimum wage is determined through a collaborative effort involving representatives from the labor movement, government, and employers.
“The NLC’s mandate at this stage is clear and unambiguous: to negotiate the national minimum wage—the primary and basic floor below which no worker should be paid,” the statement read.
Once an agreement on the national minimum wage is reached, the responsibility for negotiating consequential adjustments, which involve aligning existing salary structures with the new wage, will shift to individual sectors. The NLC clarified that it does not participate in these subsequent negotiations.
“The NLC does not sit at the table to negotiate consequential adjustments in the various sectors,” the statement noted.
Leaders from both public and private sector unions will oversee the negotiations for adjustments within their respective areas. Specifically, the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) is tasked with negotiating implementation and adjustments with the Federal Government on behalf of public sector workers.
The NLC reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the upcoming wage negotiations yield favorable results for Nigerian workers. “The NLC will do its best to ensure that the outcome of this forthcoming exercise continues to serve Nigerian workers and masses and approximates a living wage,” the statement concluded.
