The demand for a new minimum wage is entering a new level, just as the hardship the people face is also in levels. Now, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is set to demand for a higher minimum wage from President Tinubu to help workers cope with the rising cost of living.
The demand for a ₦250,000 minimum wage would be pushed in a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Thursday.
Benson Upah is the Head of Public Affairs for the NLC and he emphasised that the union remained steadfast in its demand. He cited the rising cost of living, as one of the reasons a Nigerian worker should earn that high.
This meeting follows President Tinubu’s promise for further consultations on the minimum wage.
This is after his June 12, 2024, Democracy Day speech, where he mentioned an upcoming executive bill on the issue.
On June 25, the Federal Executive Council postponed deliberations on a new minimum wage memo to engage more stakeholders.
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The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage had recommended a ₦62,000 minimum wage.
But Labour is pushing for ₦250,000, while state governors struggle with even the ₦62,000 proposal.
Current economic challenges, including food inflation and the removal of petrol subsidy, make the existing ₦30,000 wage untenable.
Prolonged wage negotiations led to a nationwide strike on June 3, impacting various sectors.
However, the NLC leaders suspended the strike after the government assured them of a wage increase.
President Tinubu had established the tripartite committee in January to negotiate a new minimum wage ahead of the expiration of the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 in April 2024.
The committee includes representatives from Organised Labour, federal and state governments, and the Organised Private Sector (OPS).
