The Labour Union has given the Federal Government until May to complete the steps necessary to establish the new national minimum wage for workers. The President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Joe Ajaero, made the request on Wednesday, 1st May 2024, in Abuja, at this year’s International Workers Day celebration, and the subject for this year’s celebration is “Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate”

Ajaero said that there has been active participation in the current process of setting a new national minimum wage as well as strong engagement and representation from all parties in the tripartite process. “While we wait for their offer, we have put our demand of N615,000 solely before our social partners.”

“The Trade Union movement in Nigeria will no longer guarantee industrial peace in the country if the negotiation of the minimum wage is not concluded by the end of May,” he said. Ajaero added that labour had demanded a two-year implementation period for the New Act, along with automatic salary adjustments whenever there is inflation above 7.5 percent. According to him, the union also insisted that all employers with up to five workers should pay minimum wage.

Ajaero demanded that monitoring and compliance systems be strengthened to penalize State Governments that do not follow the law. He claimed that a national minimum salary that was close to a livable wage should be granted to Nigerian workers. “Not on some fiction, but on what faces us as workers across the country, our estimates are based on objective facts across the country. Apart from other things, we want to be able to purchase food. Any wage below this living wage condemns workers to starvation.”

However, Ajaero asked workers to maintain their vigilance as the negotiations drew to a close. “We can help the government make the right decision and pay workers a living wage, as promised by Mr. President, we must remain vigilant and not let our guard down. We will not allow our interests to sabotage the President’s desire concerning a living wage for workers.”

Additionally, the NLC President stated that an evaluation of the Contributory Pension Scheme was necessary. He mentioned that the plan had been the subject of complaints, citing, among other things, non-transmission or delays in contributing funds to the Pension Fund Administration and reactivating gratuities for public servants.

He further demanded that the retirement age for all public servants be raised from 60 to 65 years old and from 35 to 40 years old, as was the case for judges and teachers. (NAN)

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