The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapters have demanded contrasting figures for the new minimum wage.
Both labour unions made the presentation at the North Central Zonal public hearing organised by the Tripartite Committee on the national minimum wage yesterday.
The NLC on its side proposed N709,000 as the minimum wage for workers while TUC demanded N447,000.
According to the NLC FCT chairman, Stephen Knabayi, the amount would help cushion the effects of the economic challenges and ameliorate the sufferings of workers.
The TUC, represented by Mr Amaege Chukwudi, proposed N447,000 as the minimum wage, stating that it would give Nigerian workers some minimum level of comfort and enable them to cope with the current level of economic hardship.
TUC said: “As of the last minimum wage review in 2019, one dollar was exchanged for N325.00. A dollar now exchanges for over N1,500.00, an increment of almost 500%.This has reflected on the prices of basic goods consumed by Nigerians because, as earlier noted, Nigeria is import-dependent for almost all supplies.
“On the strength of this argument, it has become extremely necessary to review upward the national minimum wage to a reasonable level to cope with the current economic realities.”
Both labour unions said their figures were carefully considered in the light of the present economic conditions in the country, taking into account the inflation rate, the devaluation of the naira, and other macroeconomic factors.
In a similar vein, the delegate from Plateau State suggested a range of N60,000 to N80,000 for the National Minimum Wage Committee to deliberate upon.
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Meanwhile, neighbouring states such as Kwara, Nasarawa, and Niger abstained from proposing a definitive amount at the public hearing.
While pensioners, under the Federal Civil Service Pensioners Union, led by its chairman, Comrade Sunday Omezi, advocated for a pension that is 85 percent of the agreed national minimum wage for workers.
Earlier in his remarks, the TUC president Festus Osifo, who chaired the North Central zone of the public hearing said that the committee was keenly interested in receiving well-researched positions and recommendations that will aid in making informed decisions.
The Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, which was inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu through Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Jan. 30, 2024, is holding public hearings across the six geo-political zones with workers, civil society groups, private sector players, government officials, and other stakeholders.
The committee is expected to submit its report to the federal government by the end of March, after which a bill will be sent to the National Assembly for approval.
The current minimum wage in Nigeria is N30,000, which was approved in 2019 after a prolonged negotiation between the government and the labour unions.
Meanwhile, NLC has reacted to the reported proposal of N100,000 new minimum wage by the House of Representatives.
The labour centre’s head of information and public affairs, Comrade Benson Upah, in a chat with LEADERSHIP said the amount credited to the lawmakers was unrealistic and unacceptable to the NLC.
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