₦airaland Forum

casualobserver:
Like I said, anyone who thinks he is worth more than he is being paid is free to resign and rest his value in the market, there is no fight there.

Many of you will realize how overrated you are. If you were worth more than you currently earn, you would be earning it already. You are where you are because that is what you are worth. If you don’t like that reality check seek to improve your value in the market place.

Good. Night!

And where did I say you shouldn't resign ? You blind bat that hardly reads what he has been replying to.

If you have no experience of ever employing anyone, then please shut. You're only making sense to your selfish self. That's all.

casualobserver:
You need to understand English. Average is not minimum.

Look my friend, the bottom line is this: if anyone feels he is worth more than he is being paid he should resign and test his worth with other employers. This is not slave Labour or forced Labour. If you feel you are worth more than you are being paid please please please feel free to leave your “exploitative” employer.

Is it by force you work for someone who is paying you less than you feel you are worth?

Abi kilode? Them force you?

If you don't own a business where you employ people to work for you, then shut up because you have no experience to discuss this with me.

Besides I haven't announced that I work under anyone. So keep your unsolicited advice to your selfish and self centered self or maybe your siblings,and stop the very wayward assumptions about my person .

Modified. Are you sure you're alright? Who's confused about average. You said you schooled in the UK, yet you struggle to express yourself very well in English language. And who's saying you can't leave if you feel exploited where' you work?

casualobserver:
The figures do not lie and the evidence says otherwise. The GDP per capita of the average Nigerian worker is N150k a month. An avearahe worker is a graduate with a few years experience according to civil service salary scale. It means that a minimum wage worker likely only contribute economic Labour or work to the value of the 30k he earns.

Argue with yourself but the figures do not lie. That’s the beauty of stats and measuring things, it removes the emotions and brings the realities home.

The above has not nothing to do with my previous reply. You're talking to yourself and no longer coherent. The evidence is there in your reply.

Read it again.

casualobserver:
The bold sums it up

Agree on all counts.

When I first got to england despite being a graduate, I had 2 full time minimum wage jobs as a security guard and at macdonalds. After finishing 12 hours of standing, I will go and do macdonalds where there is not a second of rest. I did what I had to do to improve myself. In Nigeria, you are a minimum wage worker you earn 30k or less and you have time to go to church for overnight vigil and revival?

We are not serious

Not everyone who earns 30k in Nigeria will not improve himself. You're generalising and it's very stupid to do so.

So many in Nigeria have moved from that position by attending part time school.

You far from reality and don't know what's happening around you.

DeOTR:
Ask most of them if they can pay their cleaners at least 150k as they want the minimum wage to be, it'll be another story.
I've learned one thing in life: the best way to get a pay raise is to change your job. No profit oriented organization will wake up one morning and decide to double your salary.

You're as ignorant as the person you replied.

We have employers of labour who use their workers to make excessive profits and still pay them less. Is that not true?

For instance, there are teachers in private schools in Nigeria teaching more than two or three subjects, which is not supposed to be,yet they're are paid peanuts despite the large students population and exorbitant school fees that they charge.

Yes, that's happening with nobody to check them.

Both of you are quick to judge others because you're very shallow in your thinking..

casualobserver:
I didn’t read all you wrote but let me tell you a basic principle in emplotlyer employee relations. If you feel your employer is exploiting you, you are free to quit and find another job. It is not slavery, it is not forced Labour. You likely can only get what you get because that is what your productivity and skill set (or lack there of) is worth in the open market.


Like I said you are free to quit. You have a sense of entitlement. Nobody owes you a job or 3 square meals, you earn it by the value of your work. If 30k is all anyone is prepared to pay you, then get a second job. Or go and work for your father’s company where you can be idle all day and get a salary that is comfortable.

I have repeated this many times: the reason why most employers are only willing to pay minimum wage workers so little is 1) they are unproductive…you need 3,4,5 to do the job of 1 person so the salary that should go to 1 person is shared amongst them. As a Nigerian business you are competing with imports from other countries with productive workers not workers who spend their day singing and playing praise songs. In the end the customer does not care whether The employer paid you and the 3 other unproductive workers he has to employ N100k each for every 1 worker his competitor abroad does. He is only interested in the price of the product.

You reply me without reading because you want to live in denial of the truth.

I haven't announced to you that I work under anyone so why calling me entitled ?

And it's not a matter of being entitled,but the consciousness to know that your employee is an extension of yourself and so deserve better. You sound like a very selfish and self centered individual who cares only about himself.
I'm different.

In the business I do,I can't bring myself to employ anyone if I know what I will offer won't be enough for him to take care of himself.

That's how I operate and I know so many others who do. Everyone is not the same . You can do what you like an employ just anyone to work for you, that's if you even have a business that you operate..

casualobserver:
It is not exploitation if the law does not mandate that they comply with the minimum wage. The vast majority of workers in Nigeria (over 90%) do not fall under the law and it has been So they will continue to be paid way below the minimum wage. They won’t benefit from it but their cost of living will rise due to the inflationary effects of the minimum wage. That is my point.

No . It's exploitation when you pay someone a salary that's below what they deserve simply because the law has given you the freedom to do so. Why can't an employer be considerate and do it the right instead of hiding behind the law?

You should understand that the average business owner is unwilling to pay reasonable wages unless he is forced to by the laws of land where' he operates.

If you can't afford driver ,then don't employ one and pay him peanuts. Drive yourself until you can afford to. The driver is a human being like you that needs to feed very well in order to give you his best services.

Minimum wage is not the only thing responsible for the ever rising cost of living everywhere . Why you choose to focus on minimum wage alone, and ignore the other factors is what I still don't understand.There are countries without a minimum wage yet they experience inflation from time to time.

Read about the Effect of the 100% Udoji award of the 1970s. Govt workers got 100% salary increase, In anticipation prices started rising in the end there wasn’t much benefit for the rest of the country only perhaps govt workers. On the contrary prices went up for everyone else.

It's very wrong to use something that happened in the past when the circumstances were completely different to interpret the present or make forecast about the future. You won't get it right.

The 70s was a period when most Nigerians were working as civil servants and so you can understand why the impact of the award was wildly felt, leading to traders raising their prices arbitrarily .

But times have changed. Only a few are civil servants, and so, each time there's an upward review of minimum wage in this country,it's only marginal increase in the prices of goods and services that usually result , which is not enough to cause hyperinflation.

erniok2:
Check out this https://www.nairaland.com/8113175/minimum-wage-lets-reasonable-tonyebarcanista
It even made FP.

A new minimum wage is yet to be signed into law. What's contained in the link you shared is the personal opinion of the writer.

Inflation is normal and it's not only caused by minimum wage increase. There are other factors involved which the Op deliberately ignored

casualobserver:
The irony is that many people supporting Labour do t realize whatever minimum wage is agreed will not trickle down to them and will cause inflation.

To start with (see section 4 below) minimum wage law exempts employers with less than 25 staff, agric workers, contract workers, part time workers and daily rate workers. It applies only to government and organized private sector workers with 25+ staff strength. So all this wahala for majority of Nigerians nothing will change.



Long and short most people backing Labour will not see any benefits and will reap the negative consequences..inflation and job losses. Labour will tell you they are fighting for you they are not. In a nation of over 200m people only 1m are federal government workers and the majority of those are not on mimimim wage.

If you don’t work for the federal govt and you are earning 30k, when all is said and done, after all this noise and wahala, you will look at your alert and it is still 30k…because all this was not for your benefit . Your employer would not be breaking the law because minimum wage does not apply to him. If you complain too much you will be sacked. By definition if you are on minimum wage you are easily replaced, your skills if any is not scarce! The real issue like I have said many times is the lack of productivity of the Nigerian worker


The salary of a Zamfara teacher who was earning N8000 is not suddenly going to go up to N60k+ . Where was Ajaero when it was N30k, they were paying 8k since 2019?


Finally I should add, minimum wage anywhere in the world is not meant to take you home. Yes they say so but in practice it never does. You are not supposed to be comfortable on minimum wage or else you have no motivation to improve yourself and that is bad for any economy .

.A lot of states, about 31, have been paying correctly the old minimum wage of 30k and even above it. You ignored those ones for zamfara state where the governor is violating the law due to wickedness and not because he can't pay in order to push forward your false narrative that most states can't pay if it's increased. Lagos, Edo and some few others are now paying above 60k to their workers. Why are you blind to those.

Modified. Yes, minimum wage won't take you home but at least it will help prevent exploitation of workers by employers who will like to pay below that .

DMerciful:
More than 30%

How did you arrive at that figure?

Those in the public sector where there's 100% compliance are not up to 5% . So how can the private sector where there so many exemptions for employers be more than 30%.

If you haven't read the minimum wage act as it applies to the private sector, Google it and read and come back to tell me how it can be what you say it's.

bixton:
Definitely the government will have to downsize but they also do not need to do such thing. They only need to deploy the civil servants to where the work to do it and not keep them muddled together in a place where no work is and many can be re-assigned to other ministries/parastals/agencies/commissions that generate revenue and grow it. There's so much the/any government can(should) do to grow the economy and grow the knowledge base of the country of civil servant.

Very good suggestions. Some governors have been doing that, but others don't care.

CharleyBright:
Can you hear yourself?
You are bold enough to say minimum wage is not for food sellers or pepper sellers or people on the street, it is for civil servants., abi?
Very selfish opinion. And thats how most of you civil servant reason.
When govt removed subsidy, it affected civil servant only abi? The hard economy is biting ou civil servants alone abi?
When we talk about minimum wage, is it not called National Minimum wage? When u talk about National, is it only Civil Servants ??
I hate this mentality and angle of your argument.
If govt give una 70k, make una no accept, the govt should arrest all of your selfish and greedy bunch.
Nonsense!!!

It's not my opinion please. It's what's stated in the minimum wage act I just communicated to you. Direct your anger to those who came up with the unjust law. I never mentioned that I like it that way or announced to you I'm a civil servants. Just free me

Google the minimum wage act of March 2019 signed by Buhari for confirmation of those who are qualified to receive minimum wage in Nigeria.

armo:
Ah well, if there is the political will, there is a way, perhaps the civil service laws should be updated to allow it be more agile and let it run like the private sector. As to the cost, it will be expensive but we are already incurring that expense on a yearly basis with not much to show for it.

About from the cost, there are other reasons they won't sack them.

Most of the civil servants you want sacked got the job,not necessarily by merit, but through political connections. They know someone who knows someone that knows the governor, or are card carrying member of the party in power and because of that employed.

Moreover a lot of them are giving the government job so they can be instructed to vote for the government in power during elections:. We gave you the job. So, you must vote for us.

The real civil servants are very few and most where employed when things were not as bad as they're now.

DMerciful:
It affects even the private companies

But less than 1%

jamafa:
How many private companies can pay 100k as minimum wages??

Those in the private sector enjoy exemption. Only few of them are mandated by the law to pay it and that's why most of them are not too worried.They know the law.

Besides, some are even paying more than the minimum wage. For instance, those in the oil and gas who have already increased their workers salaries in keeping with the current economic climate.

Aurelius1:
What about sales boys/girls, fuel attendants , hotel workers etc? Would the increment afect them?

It will benefit them if they work in a place with 25 staff or more.

slim75d:
My only problem with this minimum wage issue is that it only favours civil servants. Those of us in the private sector, and those who have no sector are suffering the hardship brought by the strike. Ones labour get what they want they'll move on.

It's never to late to ask for what you want if you really want to benefit. Make your voice heard by demanding for an amendment to the minimum wage act to Include more workers in the private sector.

The people who came up with the minimum wage act in this country cheated those in the private sector by exempting employers with less than 25 staff from paying minimum wage.

Before it was 50 workers, but when Buhari signed a new minimum wage in 2019, it was amended and reduced to 25.

Buhari did better by signing a new minimum wage in March 2019 before it expired. Jonathan did the same. But Tinubu is busy singing the new national anthem somewhere.

erniok2:
Truth is the new minimum wage will cause severe inflation. Rent will astronomically go up, there will be loss of jobs are so many company may not be able to pay. It's going to be a very rough ride. Best idea would have been subsidy in govt owned transport system, have an understanding with the Chinese government to buy trucks and let govt take over food pricing and movement to mitigate food inflation, etc.

@ the bolded. Are you sure you know what you're saying?

No new minimum wage has been signed into law yet. They're still negotiating. Wait until a new minimum wage is signed before you start speculating what will happen after.

735i:
Do you ever process your thoughts before you post?
60k minimum wage means people can spend more. Demand will rise... manufacturers will be incentivized to increase supply... translates to more jobs which translates to more taxes for the government.

Companies are shutting down and leaving because cost of production is rising and demand is thinning out

My 8 year old niece knows this!

Stop make posts about things you know absolutely nothing about.

The only thing he understands his politics of sharing the national cake.

MT:
The "general price" cannot be matched by increasing salary, it will move up by default.

Be ready to buy 1000 naira bread for 5000 naira or 10,000 naira.

It is not me, it is what economics says

I'm afraid your understanding of economics is not good enough.

Economics says that when minimum wage is increased it will help boost the economy.

An increase in the purchasing power of workers due to wage increase will results in the demand for more goods and services which favours local businesses that will pay tax to the government to increase government revenue.

Manufacturers will also increase productivity to meet up with the surge in the demand for what they produce and wouldn't mind to reduce their prices so they can easily and quickly sell of they excess products they're now flooding the market with due to an increase in demand.

Employment will also results from such increase productivity as they will need more hands to work with them.

So it's not what you think. You people are only seeing one thing and blind the benefits of an appreciable increase in minimum wage.

The government"s attention is more focused on stealing what they can before their tenure expires and so don't care to listen how minimum wage can help the economy.

"Make I chop my own Na My turn. No be me go make Nigeria better " That's the mentality of the average Nigerian politician in power.

Modified. When manufacturers produce more it will increase supply to the market, and an increase in supply will definitely results in lower prices in the long run

Timmi:
Per your request:

PUNCH Lite
15 states yet to pay N30,000 minimum wage – CSO
19th October 2023
BudgIT

By
Temitayo Jaiyeola
Kindly share this story:


Fifteen Nigerian states have yet to implement the N30,000 minimum wage for their workers since it was signed into law in 2019.

This is as organised labour unions are set to push for a further increase in minimum wage following worsening living conditions in recent times.

According to BudgiT, even though 15 states are yet to implement the minimum wage of N30,000, the 36 states of the federation grew their cumulative personnel cost by 13.44 per cent to N1.75tn in 2022 from N1.54tn in 2021.

Also, these states grew their overhead bills by 23.42 per cent to N1.24tn in 2022.

The Civil Society Organisation disclosed this in its newly released ‘The States of States Report 2023.’ The organisation highlighted that the 36 states of the federation grew their revenue by 28.95 per cent from N5.12tn in 2021 to N6.6tn in 2022.

Commenting on the composition of the revenue, it said, “Put together, the Internally Generated Revenue of the 36 states appreciated by 12.98 per cent from N1.61tn in 2021 to N1.82tn in 2022, denoting a strengthened domestic revenue mobilisation capability. Nonetheless, the IGR to GDP ratio remained very low at 1.01 per cent. The increase in IGR did not reflect across board as 17 states experienced a decline in their IGR from the previous year while 19 states recorded positive growth.

“Occasioned by a 49.2 per cent increase in global oil prices, growth in federal transfers rose by 35.68 per cent from the previous year to N4.05tn, despite a 12.55 per cent drop in crude oil production,”

States’ reliance on the revenue from the Federal Government grew to 61.45 per cent in 2022 from 58.4 per cent in 2021, BudgiT noted. Despite their revenue struggles, the 36 states spent N8.2tn in 2022, more than the N6.58tn they spent in 2021.

Despite the struggles of these states, organised labour recently issued a two-week deadline to governors to commence negotiations on the N35,000 wage award for workers in their states following the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Federal Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the Trade Union Congress.

State chapters of the NLC and TUC handed down these ultimatums on Tuesday and said they had written to the governors. Recently the Federal Government agreed to pay N35,000 to all federal workers for six months beginning from September.

One of the NLC state chapter chairmen who spoke to The PUNCH, The Kano State NLC Chairman, Kabiru Inuwa, said, “We have written to the government requesting for the payment of the wage award to workers in the state and we are still waiting for the government to respond.”

Other states’ chapters of either the NLC or TUC that confirmed they had written to their governors include Gombe, Rivers, Benue, Ogun, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Kebbi, Bayelsa, and Delta

Share the link. Let me read myself. It appears there's a confusion between wage awards and minimum wage in what you have up there

noeloge82:
You have said it all but many think it's about shouting look at the current cost of food imagine what will happen to minimum wage increase that will lead to higher inflation Zimbabwe story may even be a child's play and some to of it the NLC controls less than 30% of the labour force because 70% are of the private sector and individuals so what's going to happen when they can't pay will be forced to shut down and increase unemployment

Zimbabwe's case was due to economic sanctions imposed on them by western nations and not just because they increased minimum wage.

Timmi:
I agreed 100%. The NLC should be about fighting corruption but they can not because they are part and parcel of the corruption in Nigeria. The aim of the NLC is to cause unrest because their own part LP did not win, hence this is about politics and not about the welfare of the working people.

When 15 of the States can not pay the current minimum wage of 30,000, how will they be able to able to 495k the useless Ajaero is advocating for, and inflation that will follow. It makes no sense but then as part of the Obizombies, Ajaero lack sense (both common and innate).

Mention the 15 states.

Labour has said it's only 5 States. So I don't know where' you people keep getting your figures from.

@TonyeBarcanista

Your op is replete with half truths and misinformation.

Unlike in other countries where more than 60% of workers benefit from minimum wage increase, only about 5% of the workforce in Nigeria enjoys it.The private sector in Nigeria have only few of them forced to pay it under the law. The others which constitute close to 90% of the employers of labour in that sector have been exempted by law from paying minimum wage. If you don't have 25 or more staff in your payroll as a private business owner in this country, you don't pay minimum wage. You're free to negotiate with your staff what you can afford to pay in such a situation.

And It's for this reason we have never experienced hyperinflation whenever minimum wage is reviewed upwards. It doesn't ever result to too much money entering the system.

Inflation is a normal occurrence in all countries of the world and it's not caused by minimum wage increase alone. No government in the world can prevent inflation from happening. They can only manage it. So I don't understand why you lots keep shouting inflation! inflation as if it's something that can be prevented from happening . Or can you mention any country in the world where there they don't ever experience an increase in inflation?

In this country and in other countries of the world, evidences from the past proves that it's only marginal increase in certain goods and services that usually occur, which is normal, whenever there's an increase in minimum wage , not enough to cause hyperinflation. The figures you gave to buttress your points is based on half truth. Minimum wage increase is not the only thing responsible for inflation. There are other factors involved which you haven't mentioned for a reason only you can tell.

Finally, Inflation is not same as hyperinflation. Please don't try to conflate the two. We never going to experience hyperinflation from an increase in the minimum wage of less than 5% of the working force in Nigeria.

The benefits of a reasonable minimum wage are too numerous to mention.

A very dumb special adviser on information that cannot differentiate between labour party, and labour union that is made up of workers from different political parties in Nigeria.

armo:
Maybe this is the chance for FG to make the civil service competitive once and for all. Agree to the pay the 500k minimum wage, then trim the fat, get rid of all non essential personnel and leverage technology for service delivery in the civil service

Our civil service asides security and other essential services can run with 30% of current staff strength. Too many employees carrying files and just hanging around at our government offices. Those who are remaining will feel the targets on their backs and will feel the need to actually work to retain their jobs eliminating corruption and inefficiency.

The question is, will the government be able to afford the cost of sacking 70% of those in the civil service?

The public service is not like the private sector where it's easy to hire and fire as you like.Civil servants are under contract with the government .So for you to sack them ,you will have to pay huge compensation which will amount to what you will use for paying them for about 5 years or more.

CharleyBright:
Mumu talk from selfish civil servants who arent adding much value to the nation.

I hate Tinubu govt with a passion, but that doesn't mean we must speak the truth on National issues.
498k minimum wage that Labour is demanding is far too outrageous and unrealistic. Labour Union and civil servants should stop these nonsense and face reality. Do they want to cause hyper inflation by demanding over 1000% percent pay rise? How can they request minimum wage be increased 15 times what it is presently. They are not talking of double or triple, they are demanding over 10x . What happens if prices of goods goes up even 3 times what they are now as a result of their demand?
Can Joe Ajaero pay his gate man 498k monthly?

The woman that owns the restaurant pays her workers 30k and sells her food 2500. If she has pay her work 15 times more to pay that 480k monthly, how much will a food of plate cost? Or you think, you will force her to pay 480k minimum wage and she will still sell her food N2500 Better wake up.
You will be buy a plate of food, 2500 x 15. Meaning she will sell her food nothing less than N30,000 a plate. Make civil servants tell me if they will afford to eat lunch. Same will happen with the pepper and garri seller as they will hike their prices. Same with your landlord. Same with transport fares. By end of the day, the 480k will become worthless and the demand has already caused unnecessary harm to the economy with hyper inflation.

FG should pay N90,000 minimum wage. That will be 300% increment.. If Labour don't accept 90k, they should be arrested. Arrest Joe Ejaero and Osifo and others. They can't hold the country down with unnecessary and unrealistic demands.

The 498k minimum wage by labour is just a proposal . Let the government come up with something reasonable, not 60k, and see if labour will reject it before you start condemning them.

During the last minimum wage negotiations with Buhari government, labour also did the same thing they're doing now by coming up with figure the government rejected until an agreement for 30k was reached. So history is repeating itself.

As for your claim that a food seller will pay her saies girl minimum wage, it's not true. Those category of workers are exempted from receiving minimum wage in Nigeria. Google the minimum wage act of March 2019 to know those in the private sector that pay minimum wage. . Less than 1% pay minimum wage in the private sector in Nigeria.

Minimum wage is mostly enjoyed by civil servants.

Streetinvestor2:
You think you are talking to an illiterate. What is the simple maths from 30k to 60k.why should I make my percentage increase comparison based on price of dollars. Is it dollars you are spending in nigeria. If you feel your employer is not paying you enough. You resign and try self employment.Are you glued to the work.Go and creaet your own employment and equally employ people.
It is not an option because you know you are just collecting free money plus all the cutting coners that happen in those offices. The government need to sack more than half of this workers.You go thr for any government thing,they waste all you time and frustrate you as long as you are not parting money.
We have plenty land let them go and farm

I haven't said you're an illiterate. But an educated person who did economics in secondary should be aware that one of common methods used in determining the value of a nation's currency is through its exchange rate. Your naira is not exchanging for much these days and that's fact. So stop living in denial.

And please stop telling me to resign from any work. I haven't told you where I work. You don't know offline to know what I do. If I'm
into business, you don't know.

Like I said before, minimum wage increase will benefit everyone in the long run. So we should all fight for it together with labour.

The government that you're defending are mostly concerned with how they can share our common wealth and don't want anyone to challenge or stop them.

helinues:
Are you aware that some states are yet to pay the N30k current minimum wage? They are still paying N18k, I won't mention states

You don't have the correct information. Only 5 States, according to labour, are not paying the correct old minimum wage of 30k, not 18k.

They're paying close to it, 25, 27 and 28 k and not that they're still paying the old minimum wage.

The news about the 5 States involved in this, with 2 denying it, was even on front page . Go check for it.

Modified. The 30k minimum wage has expired. So it's now refer to as the old minimum wage.

abc115:
Percentage of labour force under FG is less than 3%. If FG increases minimum wage to any amount, Nigerians are dissipating unnecessary energy for the welfare of less than 3%. What happens to 97%?

Currently, States paying #18k minimum wages:
Abia
Anambra
Delta
Bayelsa
Zamfara

How do you encourage these to pay #30k before you talk of #100k?

It is not decision of FG to make, but the joint committee members which are FG, States , LG and Organized Private Sector

Please remove Delta State from your list.