Demands Government Take Wage Negotiations Seriously
Abuja — Organized Labour has firmly rejected the Federal Government’s proposal of N100,000 as the new minimum wage, urging the government to engage in serious negotiations regarding workers’ wages. The labour unions argue that their demand for a N615,000 minimum wage is based on the most basic living costs.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) walked out of a negotiation meeting last Wednesday after the government proposed N48,000 as the new minimum wage.
Despite this, the chairman of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, Alhaji Bukar Goni, has scheduled another meeting, indicating that the government may reconsider its position and calling for Organized Labour to also be flexible.
Speaking to Vanguard, NLC Head of Information and Public Affairs Benson Upah emphasized the need for the government to take wage issues seriously. He pointed out that the N615,000 demand was calculated using minimal living costs and noted that the government had since increased electricity tariffs by 250%, further straining workers’ finances.
Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, a member of the NLC delegation, criticized the proposed N100,000 as insufficient to sustain a worker and their family. He highlighted that even private-sector artisans earn more and stressed the importance of creating wealth and reducing the cost of governance.
Ndubuaku argued that if the government claims it cannot afford N615,000, it must justify this position and collaborate with the unions to find solutions to the economic crisis and improve living conditions for workers.
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