Against the backdrop of the federal government’s proposed N62,000 as new minimum wage for Nigeria’s workers, organized labour has sounded a warning that it will not accept anything less than N250,000.
Spokesperson for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Benson Upah, in a statement, labelled the government proposed N62,000 as a demonstration of non-seriousness in addressing workers’ grievances.
Benson Upah said that the proposed ₦62,000 is insufficient to maintain a decent standard of living amidst the escalating cost of living in the country.
He stressed that the Union would not accept the government position, saying: “No, not all….it is far too low below the threshold. No deal. Government is not serious yet.”
This was even as the Trade Union Congress (TUC), insisted the proposed N250,000 minimum wage.
It cited necessity of the N250,000 to meet the challenges of the present socio-economic climate.
The TUC’s first deputy president, Tommy Okon, said that the proposed amount is justifiable considering various socio-economic factors, such as housing, transportation, healthcare, education, and tariffs, as outlined in the cost of living index.
He advised President Tinubu to consider their proposal in line with the current realities.
“You are aware that our position is very clear on the minimum of N250,000. If we had done otherwise, you would have seen. So, we have taken our position to Mr. President, through the committee.
“So, let Mr. President decide. That is our position. We stand by ₦250,000 national minimum wage.
“Like I said, it is now at Mr. President’s prerogative, because what we have done is to help the government and also to help the President work this stuff. Remember, when Mr. President said fuel subsidy was gone, he said he was going to pay workers a living wage. So, we have been able to put out a variable facts that can technically prove that ₦250,000 could be manageable as a living wage. This is because when you look at the value of ₦62,000, and the present socioeconomic challenges, it cannot amount to what Mr. President referred to in his inaugural speech as a living wage.
“So, we are helping the government to work, because what the government has offered so far cannot be justifiable going by the present cost of living. The reason is that there is no variable fact to speak on it. Is it for housing? Is it for transportation? Is it for medical? Is it for education? Is it for tariff? These are indices that we have come to look at through the cost of living index that ₦250,000 is justifiable.
“So, that is what we are doing. And we believe that Mr. President is very sensitive, and that he would look at it as a democrat and see that, yes, what the workers have put forward is also considerable in line with the present reality. So, that is our position and we believe that Mr. President, who came on to announce the removal of fuel subsidy without consulting us, will also find a way to see that he appeases us, because when that was done, we never went on strike. So, in this case, Mr. President will also consider that they need to give us a wage of ₦250,000.”
The federal government Tripartite Committee had submitted its report to President Bola Tinubu last Friday. The Committee, made up of representatives of the federal and state governments as well as the private sector, recommended a minimum wage of ₦62,000.
