The NLC and TUC are seeking a ₦500,000 minimum wage, saying the ₦70,000 wage agreement’s implementation timeline expired in July amid rising living costs.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have renewed their demand for a ₦500,000 minimum wage, citing the increasing cost of living and mounting economic pressures on Nigerian workers.

National Deputy President of the NLC and President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Audu Titus Amba, made the demand at the Nigeria Rights of Workers Summit in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital.

Amba represented NLC President Joe Ajaero at the summit, which brought together about 1,000 delegates to deliberate on workers’ rights, labour issues and trade union leadership in Nigeria.

He said the implementation timeline attached to the ₦70,000 minimum wage negotiated by organised labour and the Federal Government expired in July, creating the need for a fresh round of negotiations.

According to Amba, the labour unions are prepared to return to the negotiating table with the Federal Government to seek a new wage benchmark that reflects prevailing economic realities.

“So we want to enter into another negotiation with the federal government to request at least N500,000 to be paid to the nation’s workers as the new minimum wage,” Amba said.

He maintained that a minimum wage below ₦500,000 would not sufficiently ease the financial difficulties confronting workers under the country’s current socioeconomic conditions.

Amba, however, clarified that the labour movement was not seeking a confrontation with the Federal Government. Instead, he said the unions wanted a fresh negotiation focused on adjusting workers’ earnings in response to prevailing economic conditions.

He also praised Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris for creating an enabling environment for the workers’ summit.

According to him, the gathering provided participants with an opportunity to examine challenges affecting workers and trade union leadership nationwide while considering possible solutions and the way forward.

Declaring the summit open, Governor Idris recalled that he was the first governor in Nigeria to implement a ₦75,000 minimum wage for workers.

The governor also pledged to present and support the labour unions’ latest demand during a meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

The call for a ₦500,000 minimum wage comes amid continued discussions over workers’ pay following the expiration in July of the implementation timeline attached to the existing ₦70,000 minimum wage agreement.

A new negotiation between organised labour and the Federal Government is expected to determine the next minimum wage and establish the terms for its implementation.

Source: MSME Africa