The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has disclosed that organized labour may have no choice but to demand one million naira as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Speaking during an interview with Arise TV, on Sunday evening, the NLC president argued that when they were considering two hundred thousand naira (N200,000) as the minimum wage, the exchange rate stood at about N800/$1, but that is no longer the case.
He said if the value of the naira continues to depreciate and inflation continues to bite harder, then the NLC would be left with no other choice than to demand one million naira as the new minimum wage.
According to Ajaero, the demand of labour is based on what is happening in the society. He added that labour’s demand will be based on the cost of living index.
Speaking further, the NLC president said the new minimum wage committee should have been inaugurated by the federal government at least six months before the current national minimum wage expires, but that wasn’t the case.
He revealed that even after the committee was inaugurated, they have not sat for meetings, meaning they may not have more than a month to deliberate and agree on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers
Earlier, the Organised labour in Nigeria stated that it won’t be negotiating with the federal government based on the N200,000 it earlier proposed to become the new minimum wage in Nigeria.
According to the NLC, given the current economic situation in the country, the N200,000 is no longer a realistic figure as things are now more expensive.
The National Vice President of the NLC, Tommy Etim, who made this known on Tuesday, however, said the labour union won’t be going into negotiations with any fixed amount in mind but will engage the government and other stakeholders based on current economic realities.
Recall that Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday inaugurated a 37-member new minimum wage committee to work on a new national minimum wage for Nigeria.
Shettima charged them to consult widely and submit their recommendations in good time…CONTINUE READING>>
