The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC said the N54, 000 proposed minimum wage by the Federal Government is not substantial enough to keep a family moving.
The President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, stated this in an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today on Tuesday.
He said, "You can see that (₦54k) is still not substantial compared to what you need to keep a family moving.
"Organised Labour refused the new proposal, as it is a far cry from the ₦615,000 proposed by both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC)."
Recall that at the reconvened meeting this week, the Federal Government made a fresh proposal to pay N54,000 as against the initial N48,000 it proposed during the last sitting.
But, the Organised Labour refused the new proposal, as it is a far cry from the N615,000 proposed by both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
According to a report, the meeting which was held behind closed doors at the Nicon luxury hotel in Abuja on Tuesday has been adjourned to Wednesday, May 22 to continue with negotiations.
The Organised Labour comprising the NLC and the TUC had on Tuesday given the Federal Government up till the end of May to conclude negotiations for a new minimum wage.
The unions also directed their members in states that are owing the N30,000 minimum wage to gear up for industrial action.
The Federal Government had failed to present a nationally acceptable minimum wage to Nigerians before the May 1 Labour Day.
The situation has forced labour to be at loggerheads with the government. In the wake of the tussle, Ajaero insisted on the N615,000 minimum wage.
Ajaero said the amount was arrived at after an analysis of the economic situation worsened by the hike in the cost of living and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.
With the cost of living rising following the removal of fuel subsidy, calls for a new minimum wage have continued to make headlines in Nigeria.
Ajaero and labour leaders gave the Federal Government a May 31 deadline to meet their demands.
