Organised Labour has called for a new minimum wage of N615,000 for workers to better address the numerous economic challenges and the high cost of living in Nigeria.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) confirmed this development to Channels Television on Sunday.
The new monthly wage of N615,000 was agreed upon through consultations between the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Labour unions emphasized that the current minimum wage of N30,000 is insufficient to support the average Nigerian worker’s well-being. They expressed concern that not all governors are adhering to the current wage award, which is set to expire in April, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The Act mandates a review every five years to align with the contemporary economic demands of workers.
The NLC and the TUC have consistently urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to expedite the upward review of wage awards.
In January, the Federal Government established a 37-member Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, tasked with recommending a new National Minimum Wage for the country.
Initially, the NLC proposed N1 million as the new minimum wage due to the country’s escalating inflation, which has pushed many into poverty.
While the TUC called for N447,000 as the new monthly minimum wage per worker, the NLC later proposed N794,000 per worker. However, the two unions recently submitted a fresh proposal to the government, suggesting N615,000 as the new minimum wage for workers.
The unions highlighted that inflation, which stood at 31.70% as of February 2024, has significantly impacted the cost of living for the average Nigerian worker. They emphasized that state governors now have the means to remunerate every public servant adequately due to increased monthly revenue allocation by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).