Minimum wage: Private sector demands concessions as labour awaits Tinubu’s offer

Some members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have demanded some concessions regarding the new minimum wage being proposed by members of the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee.

Specifically, a member of the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, said they would not disagree with the government if it decides to raise the minimum wage above N100,000.

He said they would rather demand tax holidays or exemption from paying the agreed amount if it is over N100,000, stressing that the amount some members of the private sector could afford is N60,000.

“Obviously, paying more than N100,000 as wages to our workers would collapse small and medium scale businesses. We are okay with N60,000, but we won’t disagree with the government, the labour and other employers from the OPS,” he said.

There were reports earlier on Thursday that President Bola Tinubu, after receiving briefing from the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, approved N105,000 as the new minimum wage.

 But hours after the report went viral, the Presidency described the news as false, insisting that Edun did not propose N105,000 in the new minimum wage template.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who stated this via his X account wrote, “The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, has not proposed N105,000 minimum wage. The contrary story being disseminated is false.”

FG yet to present any amount to us – Ajaero

In the same vein, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, who spoke to few journalists at the venue of the tripartite committee meeting, explained that no amount was presented to them during a closed-door meeting.

 Our correspondent who monitored the meeting yesterday observed that all members of the committee, including the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, first held a closed-door session jointly for about three hours.

 The three groups later broke away to hold separate meetings, after which the chairman of the committee, Wale Edun and members of the OPS left, while Onyejeocha met with labour leaders.

 Speaking to journalists, the visibly happy Ajaero said, “The committee is still working now, so when they finish, Nigerians will get the report.”

 Asked whether they have been given the figure, he said, “Not yet.”

 On the exact figure expected, Ajaero said, “They didn’t present it to the committee; they are presenting it to the committee of the house.”

 Asked when they would present the figure to the whole house (committee members), he said, “They have entered now, you can see them. They will come out later to present it to the general house for deliberation.

 “We are all praying that everything shall be okay by tomorrow (Friday). That’s a wish for all of us. Information on N105,000 is not before us, either officially or unofficially. We are still at our position before now, having not presented it to us.

“Until it is made public, we can’t say the government has a position.”

When newsmen asked the minister of state for labour about the outcome of the meeting, she said, “You will get update when we finalise the talks. You will hear us when we are done.”