To stave off the looming nationwide strike by the organized labour unions, President Tinubu has approved the increase of the newly introduced provisional wage from the previous N25,000 to N35,000 for federal workers.
President Bola Tinubu has approved a provisional wage increment of N35,000 for all treasury-paid workers for a duration of six months, according to a statement from the presidency released on Sunday night.
This decision followed a meeting between representatives of the federal government and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) aimed at averting a planned indefinite nationwide strike by the unions. The strike was planned in protest of the removal of the petrol subsidy and the economic hardships in the country.
During the meeting, which was chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, it was announced that the president had approved a provisional wage increment of N25,000 for all categories of federal workers. Initially, President Tinubu had proposed N25,000 for low-grade workers for six months, but this was rejected by the labor unions.
After four hours of negotiations, Gbajabiamila revealed that agreements had been reached between the government team and labor leaders, including agreements on wage bills, salary increments, and the provision of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, among other things.
The federal government also committed to providing funds for micro and small-scale enterprises and waiving the value-added tax (VAT) on diesel for the next six months. Additionally, the government pledged to commence the payment of N75,000 to 15 million households at N25,000 per month for three months, starting from October to December 2023.
A sub-committee will be formed to work out the details of implementing the government’s interventions to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
The statement concluded that NLC and TUC would consider the offers made by the Federal Government, with the possibility of suspending the planned strike to allow for further consultations on the implementation of the resolutions.
