The NLC advocates for a monthly salary of N615,000 for workers, a substantial increase from the current N30,000.
By Musa Ibrahim
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) asserts that the suggested N615,000 minimum wage is feasible, rejecting assertions that certain states would struggle to meet such a requirement if endorsed.
Recent policy changes in Nigeria, such as the elimination of fuel subsidies and the streamlining of the foreign exchange market, have elevated the cost of living. Inflation surged to 33.2 percent in March, exacerbating economic challenges.
Negotiations between labour unions and the Federal Government have centered on various measures, including a revised minimum wage, to alleviate the effects of the challenging economic conditions.
The NLC advocates for a monthly salary of N615,000 for workers, a substantial increase from the current N30,000. While some view this proposal as impractical, the labor union contends that many states could afford it with proper prioritization.
“Well, I think we need to understand the issue of ability to pay and the issue of not getting the priority right now,” the NLC president Joe Ajaero said on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today when asked if states can pay the current minimum wage can
“Most of the states that have shown a willingness to pay are not among those that are getting the highest revenue. Even during the time of General Muhammadu Buhari, some states were declared as not having enough money to pay and he released funds for them to pay, those states still went ahead and refused to pay.
“Now, it’s not a question of whether the quantum of money they have or not is what they decide to do with such money. If they get their priority right, then a lot can happen.”
“Remember I told you before that if we do what we are supposed to do in terms of what is expected of us as a government and as people and we’re able to check inflation, check all other indices; check the cost of foodstuff; go into massive agriculture; have a kind of self-sufficiency in the nation, then we will pay less attention to the quantum to hundreds and of millions and thousands,” Ajaero said.
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