Organised Labour has declared its refusal of the Federal Government’s ₦100,000 minimum wage offer, asserting that the government can afford to pay more. They have urged the government to approach wage negotiations with greater seriousness, emphasizing that they calculated the new minimum wage to be ₦615,000 based on the lowest possible estimates.
Benson Upah, Head of Information and Public Affairs for the NLC, revealed this in an interview over the weekend.
Last Wednesday, Organised Labour, which includes the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), withdrew from the negotiation meeting after the government proposed ₦48,000 as the new minimum wage.
However, Alhaji Bukar Goni, chairman of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, indicated in a letter to Organised Labour that the government is willing to reconsider and has invited them to a meeting scheduled for tomorrow.
Upah, speaking to Vanguard in Abuja, confirmed that Organised Labour will attend the meeting but advised the government to approach the discussions with seriousness.
He firmly stated that the federal government should abandon any notion of offering ₦100,000 as the new minimum wage.
“Our expectation is that the government will be more serious this time around regarding workers’ wages,” Upah said.
Addressing rumors of accepting ₦100,000, Upah explained, “We calculated ₦615,000 using the barest minimum. For example, we allocated ₦40,000 for accommodation and ₦500 for feeding per person, which is unrealistic for a family of six. Moreover, after our demand, the government raised electricity tariffs by 250%, adding to living costs.”
He added, “If the government is truly serious, it should not consider ₦100,000. Creating poor citizens only leads to a poorer country.”