New minimum wage: Labour, FG yet to agree!

*NLC, TUC propose N615,000 as living wage

*Vow to embark on strike if negotiations don’t end by May ending

*New minimum wage will be backdated to May 1, 2024 whenever implemented – FG

*Says delay in its implementation would soon be resolved

By Michael Oche

As controversy continues to trail the issue of minimum wage for Nigerian workers, the Federal Government, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC are yet to agree on the amount a Nigerian worker should earn as a living wage.

While the Federal Government without mentioning any amount it is proposing as minimum was for Nigerian workers assured that the new wage whenever implemented would be backdated to take effect from April 1, 2024, the organised labour has proposed N615, 000 as living wage for the workers.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, gave the assurance while speaking in Abuja at this year’s Workers’ Day celebration.

She said “Although the Committee could not reach a consensus at its last meeting before the May deadline, we want to reassure Nigerian workers that we are working diligently around the clock with organized labour to conclude negotiations and ensure a successful outcome. Our commitment is unwavering.”

However, organised Labour has vowed to cripple all activities nationwide, should the Federal Government fail to conclude negotiations on a new minimum wage by the end of May, 2024.

Labour’s position was contained in a May Day address read by Presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero and Comrade Festus Osifo respectively in Abuja to mark this year’s May Day celebration.

The leadership of both the NLC and TUC said they have placed an offer of N615, 000 to the National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee as a new living wage for Nigerian workers, adding that labour was still awaiting a counter offer from the government.

The duo said, “At this point comrades, we want to inform you that the process of fixing a new national minimum wage is still continuing. All the parties in the tripartite process are well represented and the engagement has been robust. We have placed our demand of N615, 000 before our social partners while we await their offer.”

“Remember that earlier in the year, we sent questionnaires to all of you across the nation with which we sought to measure the actual cost of living for an average family of six. Your response to that questionnaire which you also administered across the 774 LGAs assisted us in arriving at the figure with minor adjustments.

“Placed before them also is our demand that the new Act shall have a two-year life with an agreement for automatic adjustment in wages any time inflation exceeds 7.5%. We have also demanded that every employer with up to five workers in his employ shall pay the new minimum wage and have also asked for the strengthening of monitoring and compliance mechanisms to penalize non-complying state governments.

“We have done this with the understanding that Nigerian workers deserve to have a national minimum wage that approximates a Living wage. Our figures are based on objective realities around the nation and not based on some fantasy but on what confronts us as workers around the nation.

“We hope that our social partners will see the reality of what we have done and the demands that represent our basic needs to expedite action so that the process will come speedily to an end given the painstaking effort we have put across the nation.

“We want to be able to buy rice, beans, bread, Housing, clothes, pay school fees, Medicare, pay electricity bills among others. Any Wage that is below the Living Wage condemns workers to starvation and we are sure that our social partners would not want that.

“However, it is important that we urge every worker around the nation to remain vigilant as this process winds to an end. We must not let our guards down but be at alert so that together, we can assist the government make the right decision and pay workers a living wage as promised by our President, Bola Tinubu during his inaugural speech. We will not allow other interests to sabotage the desire of the President concerning a Living wage for workers.

“If however, the negotiation of the National Minimum wage is not concluded by the end of May, the Trade Union Movement in Nigeria will no longer guarantee industrial peace in the country”, they added.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu who addressed workers during the May Day celebration in Abuja has assured workers that his administration was committed to implementing a living wage for workers.

The President represented by Vice President, Ibrahim Shettima said: “You would recall that on January 30, 2024, the Federal Government convened a 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage. The Committee’s mandate was to provide counsel and suggest a national minimum wage that aligns with our current economic conditions. Since then, the Committee, in collaboration with labour leaders, has been diligently working towards proposing a new National Minimum Wage. Unfortunately, despite concerted efforts, the Committee was unable to reach a consensus at its last meeting.”