Checkout Magazine has learnt that organised labour is prepared to lower its demand for N1m minimum wage for workers in the country in line with realities on the ground.
The shift in position will likely be communicated to the Federal Government during the second meeting of the tripartite committee on the minimum wage on Monday and Tuesday.
It was gathered that the meeting would enhance deliberations between all parties involved in negotiations to allow for the announcement of a new minimum wage on or before April 1 following the expiration of the current N30,000 minimum wage as provided by the law.
President Bola Tinubu, through his deputy, Kashim Shettima, had on January 30, 2024, inaugurated a 37-member panel on the new minimum wage at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.
With its membership cutting across the federal and state governments, the private sector, and organised labour, the panel is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.
In his opening address at the inauguration, Shettima urged members to “speedily” arrive at a resolution and submit a report early as the current N30,000 minimum wage expires at the end of next month.
“The timely submission (of the report) is crucial to ensure the emergence of a new minimum wage,” Shettima said.
He also urged good faith in collective bargaining, emphasising contract adherence and encouraging consultations outside the committee.
