‘It’s unacceptable’ — labour kicks as FG increases proposed minimum wage to N54,000

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have kicked against the N54,000 proposed by the federal government as the minimum wage for workers.

On Tuesday, there were reports that the federal government had increased the proposed minimum wage to N54,000 after organised labour rejected the initial N48,000 during a negotiation meeting.

After he staged a walkout from the negotiation meeting, Joe Ajaero, NLC president, said the government was not serious about discussing with the labour.

“The government’s proposal of a paltry N48,000 as the minimum wage does not only insult the sensibilities of Nigerian workers but also falls significantly short of meeting our needs and aspirations,” Ajaero had said.

In reaction to the proposed N58,000, Ben Ukpa, NLC spokesperson, told TheCable that what the government is offering is “unacceptable”.

“The unions, including the NLC and TUC, reject the N54,000 proposed. We will continue discussions,” Ukpa said.

The NLC and TUC had proposed N615,500 as the minimum wage that the federal government should pay Nigerian workers, citing the high cost of living.

On Monday, at the end of a joint national executive council (NEC) meeting, the labour unions gave the federal government until May 31 to finalise the new national minimum wage fixing process.

“We need an agreement that will genuinely reflect the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the nation’s development and the current crisis of survival facing Nigerians as a result of the government’s policies,” the labour movement said.

“The NEC affirms its commitment to ensuring that the interests and welfare of workers are adequately protected in the negotiation process.”