NLC's Proposed minimum wage:
SE N540k, NE N560k , SS N850k, NC N709k, NW N485k, SW N794k

Minimum Wage: NLC, TUC propose N540,000, N447,000 for workers in South-East

The South-East chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, have proposed N540,000 and N447,000 respectively as new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

The organised labour of NLC and TUC made the proposal during the South-East Zonal Hearing organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage on Thursday in Enugu.

Speaking on behalf of the NLC in the Southeast, Fabian Nwigbo, the Chairman, NLC Enugu State Chapter, noted that the value of N30,000 minimum wage of 2019 had been eroded by inflation.

According to him, if you consider what is going on in the country today, one won’t be talking about minimum wage anymore.

Mr Nwagbo described the situation as very “unfortunate” saying that if one compared the minimum wages being paid in West African countries, Nigeria workers were the least paid.

“For us, we want to propose based on the prices of commodities in Nigeria. In 2019 when we had N30, 000 minimum wage, a paint bucket of garri was N280, rice and beans were about N450 each while fuel was N145.

“This has continued to subsist till today where a litre of fuel is now N750 to N800 depending on the location.

“In the current state, a paint bucket of rice is over N4000 and garri N2,500.

“While two bedroom flat in Enugu that used to be N250, 000-N300,000 is over N650,000 at the suburb and in the city it stands at N1.2 million yearly.

“Everything is moving up except salary paid to civil servants.

“We are praying the leadership of this country to consider the pains and sufferings of the Nigeria workers and citizens and give us something that is close to what we can use to survive,” he appealed.

Giving a breakdown of the proposal, the chairman added that a family of six with daily feeding of N2000 each, would have N12,000 and in 30 days it would be N360,000.

“We have also put hospital bills at N20,000, education N40,000, utility, N10,000, clothing N30,000, social engagement and other things at N10,000 per month.

“If you put them together, you have N540,000 which will do a little good to the workers of Nigeria and so we are proposing N540,000 as new minimum wage for civil servants, he said.

He called for review of minimum wage law every two years, saying that the issue of five years was no longer fashionable as well as leaving as leaving minimum wage in exclusive list.

The labour leader, however, called for impeachment of any governor that failed to implement new minimum as well as the extension of the wage to the pensioners whom he said put in their active lives in service.

“Once it is approved, every governor and Council Chairman should start paying it across board. The issue of workers going to negotiate with their state governors should not arise,” he said.

In his submission, Ben Asogwa, Chairman, TUC Enugu Chapter, said that the zone aligned with the N447,000 proposed by the TUC national leadership.

“It is small to what Nigeria workers expect but we are concerned on its implementation if more is requested, given the economic factors and indices. Any governor that refuses to pay should leave office,” he said.

Earlier, Tommy Etim, Chairman of the event and Deputy National President one, TUC, said it was a mark of honour for them to have engaged in a sensitive assignment on National minimum wage.

Mr Etim however, expressed displeasure on the absence of representatives of the Civil Societies, Nigeria Union of Pensioners and others.

None of the governors or their representatives from the zone attended the hearing including Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra who is the Chairman of the event and Member of the Tripartite Committee.

SOURCE

NLC in South-south proposes N850,000 new minimum wage

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the South-South region has proposed N850,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the country.

The chairperson of NLC in Akwa Ibom, Sunny James, disclosed the position of labour in the region at a public hearing on the new wage structure held on Tuesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The event was streamed live on Facebook.

Mr James expressed displeasure that some states in the region are yet to implement the current N30,000 minimum wage which was last reviewed in 2019.

He did not, however, mention the affected states.

Mr James wondered how state governments in the region, whom he said budgeted higher allocation for running the government more than other sectors of the economy could not pay a minimum wage.

As a penalty for contravention, Mr James called for the impeachment and imprisonment of governors who are insensitive to the payment of minimum wage.

“The Nigerian worker is calling for a decent work environment and living wage that is commensurate to their labour,” Mr James said.

He lamented that there is “anger and hunger” in the land since President Bola Tinubu declared an end to fuel subsidy in his inaugural address in May last year.

He called on Mr Tinubu to create an environment for business to grow by providing power supply, repair refineries and also build new modular refineries.

Rowdy session
Ibom Hall, venue of the public hearing was peaceful until a presentation by the chairperson of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in state, Kingsley Bassey.

Mr Bassey was booed for proposing a minimum wage of N447,000 as against N850,000 earlier proposed by the NLC.

The hall became rowdy as labour members refused the plea of the master of the ceremony to allow Mr Bassey complete his presentation.

It took the intervention of the secretary of the Federal Government Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee, Ekpo Nta, before Mr Bassey was allowed to continue his presentation.

Mr Nta, a former chairperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission appealed that every participant should be given an opportunity to speak and that harmonisation will be done in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

President Tinubu had in January inaugurated a 37-man national minimum wage committee with a mandate to recommend a new minimum wage for the country.

The committee is holding public hearing simultaneously in all the six geo-political zones in the country today to seek inputs from the public on a new minimum wage structure.

Based on extant laws, the minimum wage in the country is subject to review every five years.

The current N30,000 minimum wage became effective in 2019. The new minimum wage implementation is expected begin in April this year according to labour leaders.

SOURCE

NLC demands N794,000 as minimum wage for South-West workers

The Nigeria Labour Congress has demanded N794,000 as the new national minimum wage for workers in the South West geopolitical political zone.

The labour union in the South West, through the chairperson of the Lagos State chapter of the NLC, Funmi Sessi, made the demand during her presentation at the ongoing public hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage in Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday.

Sessi noted that the demand was jointly agreed on by all the members of the union in the South West.

President Bola Tinubu, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, inaugurated a 37-member panel on the new minimum wage in the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja on January 30, 2024.

SOURCE

North West NLC proposes N485,000 minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress has proposed N485,000 as the new minimum wage for workers.

The proposal is contained in a position paper presented on Thursday at the North West Public hearing on the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage help at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.

The presentation was made by the Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Kabir Inuwa, on behalf of the North West Leadership of the Congress.

He said the proposed minimum wage of N485,000 was necessary considering the dynamics of the national economy.

“It is imperative to propose a new minimum wage that reflects the cost of living and ensures a decent standard of living for workers.

“The proposed new minimum wage per month should be determined through a comprehensive assessment of the current economic conditions, inflation rates, and the basic needs of workers and their families.

“The congress is of the opinion that for any minimum wage to achieve its purpose it must reflect the realities of the economic situation and accordingly asses the least income that would be sufficient for the survival of a family of six,” Inuwa said.

According to him, the estimated Monthly Expenditure per Household (comprising father, mother and four children).

The NLC Boss noted that the Minimum Wage Act has given all the protection required to ensure compliance.

“This may be initiated by an individual or trade unions. The lack of awareness of the existing laws constitutes rampant contravention of the law most especially by some state and local governments. If the labour unions can initiate a mechanism to explore the provision of the law, would record minimum defaults.

He, therefore, stressed the need for the intervention of the Federal Government to ensure compliance by withholding all allocations to any State or public institutions that contravened the minimum wage law.

“The removal of fuel subsidy and Forex policy came at a time when Nigeria’s minimum wage is matured for review. The attendant effect of the current economic hardship propelled by hyperinflation renders workers vulnerable.

“The North West geo-political zone of Nigeria is facing a series of economic challenges due to banditry, high level of unemployment and hyperinflation.

“It is evident that the majority of people in the zone are affected by the recent removal of fuel subsidy and forex policy. Farmers find it difficult to irrigate their farms due to the cost of petrol. Prices of fertilizer are beyond the purchasing power of peasant farmers.

“To ensure that the minimum wage remains relevant and responsive to economic changes, a mechanism for regular review is essential. It is proposed that the minimum wage should be reviewed every two years taking into account inflation rates, cost of living adjustments, and other relevant economic indicators.

He suggested that the review mechanism should involve consultations with labour unions, government representatives, and economic experts to ensure a fair and transparent process.

Governors from the Northwest Zone were absent at the venue of the public hearing.

PUNCH Online reports that only the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, sent representation, while the host governor was represented by his deputy, Abdulssalam Gwarzo

SOURCE

North Central NLC proposes N709,000, TUC N447,000 monthly as new minimum wage

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has recommended a new minimum wage of N709,000 for Nigerian workers.

During the North Central Zonal Public Hearing conducted by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, Dr. Stephen Knabayi, the NLC FCT Chairman, presented this proposal in Abuja on Thursday.

On his part, the leader of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) FCT chapter, Mr Amaege Chukwudi, recommended a monthly minimum wage of N447,000 stating that the current economic hardship has turned many Nigerian workers into beggars.

Plateau State government however, represented by its Permanent Secretary, Establishment, and Labour Relations, proposed a new minimum wage of N60,000, N70,000, and N80,000 for the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee to consider.

While the zones leadership of the two labour centres proposed the figures, representatives of the State Governments in the zone: Kwara, Nasarawa, and Niger failed to present a specific figure they proposed to be the new minimum in their presentations.

On their part, pensioners, represented by the Federal Civil Service Pensioners Union Chairman, Comrade Sunday Omezi, told the zonal chairman of the public hearing, that pensioners are unanimously asking for 85% of whatever figure the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee agrees to pay workers.

While making their presentations, Kwara State Governor’s Chief of Staff, however, asked the Federal and State governments across the Federation to consider paying workers both in the Federal and States a sustainable minimum wage. The Kwara Governor’s Chief of Staff also called on the Federal Government to review upwardly the allocation State governments receive from the Federal.

Nasarawa State Governor who was represented by the Head of Service of the State, Mrs Abigail Waya, urged the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee to allow her state renegotiate minimum wage with their workforce, saying that economic realities may not encourage the State pay a new minimum wage beyond its financial capability.

However, Niger State Head of Service, said his Government is willing to pay any amount fixed by the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee as a new minimum wage for workers.

Deputy Governors of Niger and Nasarawa, representative of Manufactures Association of Nigeria, Head of the Civil Service, Chairman Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage, representative of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, amongst others.

SOURCE

North East NLC proposes N560,000 as minimum wage

Labour unions in the North East have proposed N560,000 per month as national minimum wage.

While the branches of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, in the six states of the North East recommended a monthly minimum wage of N560,000, the Adamawa and Bauchi State Governments recommended N45,000.

The six branches of the two major labour groups, which made a presentation on Thursday during the North East Zonal Public Hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, said they had carefully worked out economic imperatives to arrive at the N560,000.

Adamawa State Chairman of the NLC, Emmanuel Fashe, who presented the joint recommendation of his colleagues as well as TUC leaders in all the states of the North East, recommended a review of whatever becomes the new minimum wage on two-yearly basis instead of the current five-yearly review template.

The Adamawa State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, made a similarly high recommendation, seeking N486,000 per month for employees of government and other big organizations.

The State CAN acting chairman, Gambo Bupwadta, said that to arrive at its figure, the association took a painstaking review of the expenditures of average families, including feeding, medical needs, accommodation, transportation, and education of children.

In its own memeorandum, the state branch of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, said it aligned with the position of the NLC on what should be the new minimum wage.

The Adamawa State chapter of National Council of Women Societies, NCWS, demanded N200,000 as the new monthly minimum wage, while the state leadership of the Muslim Council of Nigeria recommended N75,000.

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, attended the North East Zonal Public Hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, while the Deputy Governor of the host Adamawa State, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, represented Governor Ahmadu Fintiri at the hearing.

The hearing in Yola was chaired by NLC President, Joe Ajaero.

Commissioners or permanent secretaries represented the governments of Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi, Borno and Taraba states.

Gombe and Taraba state governments each suggested N60,000 as new minimum wage, while Borno State said that it had not taken a position on the matter.

The Yobe State Government proposed three-yearly review of minimum wage without suggesting how much the new minimum wage should be.

SOURCE

Will all these governors pay them niii. At the end of the day, Na for Fg to increase the wages of workers from 30k to 60k or 100k

🥴

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bunch of jokers


Walahi

We Nigerians fantasise a lot. A cleaner on level 1 step 1 collecting 540k monthly. How much should a director earn in that case? 25m I guess. So where will this money come from?

The figures are too high realistically say #100 to #150k, Government cannot pay anything more than 150k and that's fact, ABI they want make government begin owe salaries

Fergie001 you sure say this one go work under this administration? 😄

This is total madness. What are they smoking?

If wishes were horses, everyone would ride

Hmmm

NLC have spoken well, but the question is can they battle the FG

Jokers, na these NLC make Nigerian look like papa ajasco show. Even pa James wey talks say thank God I no go school because they no allow ham measure women body with tape rule instead uses his hand still get sense pass them

We'll it's a proposal anyway.

In reality, I foresee a possible N100,000.00 monthly wage as more realistic.

We maybe shouting it's much but it's not because #500,000 is literally $314 which is still low when compared to other African countries......

Ogiame:
Fergie001 you sure say this one go work under this administration? 😄

Work for where?

SadiqBabaSani:
The figures are too high realistically say #100 to #150k, Government cannot pay anything more than 150k and that's fact, ABI they want make government begin owe salaries

Who will pay 150k, 80% increase No nah.

N80k-N100k realistically.

Lol just messing with the heads of Nigerians

I like this.

NLC themselves know these figures is not realistic but they had to propose it.

Because if they propose 100k, last last na 35-40k FG go pay.

But as it is now, na 100-120k them go finally settle for

Govt can't pay all the money to civil servants there are others that are not civil servants that need govt attention also

;DThis is funny as hell

fergie001:
Work for where?

You're not a "patriotic citizen"

This is very funny, are they day dreaming?, you are expecting government that refuses to pay 30k to now pay you 550k😂😂

We joke too much in this country... anyways, I didn't read the epistle up there. Someone should help me to summarize it

Unah never ready....are u sure them go even pay upto 80k as minimum wage? Maybe nah 50k las las lol


Whereas some states re yet to pay the outdated 30k sef...

Nigeria workers and citizens deserve better.

Nigerian politicians will not die well. As many of them that refuse the masses good living just like the way they and their children are living, using our money to gallivant around the world and enjoying life, shall not live to enjoy long life.

If they refuse Nigerian workers their deserve pay, those who say no will all die untimely deaths

Some state never 👎pay 30k …. And they are saying 450 , 800, 750… Wereyyyyyyyyyy

What is the time

Tinubu go offer dem 70k max....

The money is there.

Which kind salary scale be this one.

Everybody go run enter sw,nc and ss be that...

Se go empty.