The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has requested for a new minimum wage of N615,000 in order to help workers better handle the economic challenges and rising cost of living.
The President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, verified the information to Channels Television on Sunday.
He said, “After discussions between the NLC and TUC, a monthly wage of N615,000 was agreed upon.
The union have expressed concerns that the current minimum wage of N30,000 is insufficient to support the average Nigerian worker.
The Labour unions expressed concern that the current minimum wage of N30,000 is insufficient to support the needs of the average Nigerian worker.
They pointed out 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.
This Act is meant to be reviewed every five years to ensure it aligns with the changing economic needs of workers.
The NLC and the TUC have both urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to promptly increase wage awards.
In January, the Federal Government established a 37-member Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage with the task of proposing a new National Minimum Wage for Nigeria.
The NLC recently declared N1m as the revised minimum wage in response to the increasing inflation rates in the country that have led to a surge in poverty levels.
The TUC initially asked for N447,000 per worker as the new monthly minimum wage, while the NLC requested N794,000. However, both unions later jointly proposed N615,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in a fresh submission to the government.
The unions pointed out that the rising inflation rate, currently at 31.70% as of February 2024, has directly impacted the standard of living for the typical Nigerian worker. They emphasized that state governors now have the financial capacity to meet the salaries of all government employees, as they are receiving increased monthly revenue allocations from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
