The prospects of a peaceful resolution to the minimum wage standoff between the Federal Government and organised labour dimmed further on Wednesday, with the latest round of talks between the two parties ending in a deadlock.

What began as a hopeful dialogue, with the suspension of the nationwide strike action on Tuesday to allow for further negotiations, has now devolved into a game of brinkmanship, with each side seemingly unwilling to budge on their respective positions.

The latest impasse, which was confirmed by both labour and government representatives, is particularly worrisome as it comes on the heels of the failure of the Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee to reach a consensus during a meeting on Wednesday evening.

With both parties digging in their heels, it appears that the minimum wage stalemate may yet again lead to further industrial action, jeopardizing the fragile economic stability of the country and placing even more pressure on the already strained relationship between labour and government.

The lack of a breakthrough in the minimum wage negotiations has further underscored the disconnect between the government and the citizens it seeks to serve.

The government’s insistence on working on a “template” that would appease both organised labour and the private sector, while failing to present a concrete figure to the negotiation table, has been interpreted by labour representatives as a sign of intransigence and bad faith.

Both the Trade Union Congress President, Festus Osifo, and the minister of state for Labour, Nkeiru Onyejeocha confirmed this to Desirenews at the end of another inconclusive Minimum wage Tripartite meeting.

While labour disclosed that the government has not presented any amount higher than N60, 000, the government maintained that it is working on a template that will be acceptable to not only organised labour but the organised private sector.

The June 5 minimum wage tripartite committee meeting had in attendance the Minister of Finance and coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, Kwara State Governor, Abdulrazak Abdularaham and the Head of he Federal civil service, Folasade Yemi-Esan.