Nigerians Plead for Grid Stability Amidst Minimum Wage Standoff
The ongoing standoff between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Federal Government regarding the proposed minimum wage has spurred Nigerian citizens to voice their concerns on social media. Amidst the impasse, there’s a widespread plea urging the labour union not to disrupt the national grid should a strike action occur.
Assistant General Secretary Chris Onyeka dismissed these figures as a “starvation wage,” asserting the union’s stance against negotiating below what they consider a fair wage for Nigerian workers as the NLC rejected the government’s offers of either ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 as the new minimum wage on June 10th, 2024 .
“Our position is very clear. We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know can take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage,” Onyeka stated
Onyeka reiterated the NLC’s demand for a ₦250,000 minimum wage, which he deemed as a reasonable concession given the prevailing economic circumstances.
With the one-week grace period given to the federal government set to expire by midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, tension mounts as Nigerians await further developments as social media platforms have become avenues for citizens to express their anxieties about the potential impact of a nationwide strike on various sectors, particularly the power industry as there’s a palpable concern about the disruption such industrial action could cause to daily life and economic activities.
