Kelvin Bowoto
According to Comrade Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), organized labor may seek a new minimum salary of N1 million for Nigerian workers.
The Labor Center justified the drive, citing the present high rate of inflation and the hardship encountered by Nigerian workers as a result of the recent loss of gasoline subsidies.
If approved, the increased minimum wage is expected to be implemented by April 2024.
The federal government has already formed a committee to evaluate the minimum wage, which is now fixed at N30,000 per month.
However, Ajaero, who talked with Arise News Channel on Monday, stated that the new demand was also owing to the rising cost of living under President Bola Tinubu’s government, which has enacted policies such as the withdrawal of gasoline subsidies.
He stated, “This N1 million may be relevant if the value of the Nigerian Naira continues to depreciate and if inflation continues unchecked because the demand for labor is equally dependent on what is happening in society.”
“You will recall that at the time we were considering N200,000 (as the minimum salary), the exchange rate was around N800/N900 (to the dollar). As of now, the exchange rate is around N1,400 or higher.”
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The labor leader went on to say, “These are the issues that influence demand, and they also affect the cost of living. And we have consistently stated that our demand will be based on the cost of living index. You’ll agree with me today that even a bag of rice costs around N60,000 or N70,000 or more.
“A bag of locally grown grain costs around N56,000 or more. Food is becoming increasingly expensive; will we now receive a minimum salary that will not cover even one week’s transportation costs?
“You must consider these matters since they will determine the Federal Government’s commitment to this negotiation. It’s not only that they want to pay us the minimum wage.
“The old minimum wage will expire in April, and the Federal Government should have formed a committee six months earlier so that negotiations could begin, but the Federal Government did not do so until recently when they established a committee, and the committee has yet to meet.
“It appears we are going to work within one month or two to agree on a figure, but I doubt those ones will, especially when you look at the people that the Federal Government assembled as members of the committee.”
“They looked at some of the governors who aren’t paying even the current minimum wage, and they even have a budget minister who didn’t implement his minimum wage as a governor.”
“If you have these people on the government team on the issue of minimum wage, some of us have not seen a bright future in the work of this new minimum wage committee,” she said.
Techrectory with Agency Report.
