The Labour Party (LP) says that organised labor’s proposed N494,000 minimum wage is “unrealistic.”
Citing inflation and the current state of the economy, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have suggested N615,500 and N494,000 as the new national minimum wage, respectively.
Labour began an indefinite strike on Monday because the federal government is refusing to budge on its demand.
Speaking with NAN on Monday, Obiora Ifoh, LP spokesperson, asked the NLC to suspend the strike and resume talks with the federal government.
Obiora said the industrial action will worsen the economic hardship in the country.
“Our immediate reaction is that the organised labour should not throw Nigerians into more hardship,” he said.
“Nigerians are already grappling with a lot of challenges and we do not need to exacerbate the situation.
“I think the demand for N494,000 minimum wage is unrealistic. It is really unrealistic.
“It is a figure that cannot be sustained because it will imply that Nigeria will take all that money it has to pay the civil servants.
“Negotiation should continue until they get something better.
“Asking Nigerian workers to stay at home will affect everything, including the cost of living and Nigerians cannot afford that now. Negotiation is not a one-off thing.
“If the federal government is not willing to go above N60,000 minimum wage, I think that the organised labour should work with what is available while it continues to negotiate.
“We know this government has not gotten it right. It is still trying to test the waters.”