The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for an upward review of the national minimum wage, saying that N70,000 is no longer sustainable. The demand follows recent wage reviews by some states.
In an interview, the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, said workers are struggling to survive.
“The truth is that N70,000 minimum wage is not sustainable under the current economic situation. Workers are under immense pressure, and unless the government responds quickly, the crisis of survival will only worsen,” he said. He added that while the NLC is committed to dialogue, industrial action remains an option if the Federal Government fails to act.
Similarly, the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Shehu Mohammed, commended states that have increased wages, describing them as “eye-openers” for the Federal Government. He said: “Right from the beginning, during the negotiation, our demand was for a living wage, and we submitted N250,000 as a reasonable benchmark.
“Let’s be realistic. Even if you pay electricity bills out of N70,000, what remains cannot sustain a family for 10 days.” He, therefore, urged governments to complement wage increases with policies that reduce the cost of living, including affordable housing, healthcare, and subsidised transportation.
Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the organised labour in Ogun State may demand a new minimum wage of N104,000 for workers in the civil service.
Labour leaders in the state, including Chairmen of the NLC, Hameed Benco and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Akeem Lasisi, disclosed this during their separate exclusive interviews yesterday, in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Benco said that with the increase in huge allocations received from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) by the states, he was certain that the Dapo Abiodun-led administration could pay the new wage when demanded.
Lasisi, on his part, said that plans were underway by the organisedlabour to meet with the governor on a new minimum, stressing that the Ogun State government could also approve N104,000 as the new minimum wage, as was done in Imo State.
He lauded Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, for laying a foundation through the approval of the N104,000 minimum wage for governors to follow.
