The organised labour, yesterday, made a fresh demand of N66,500 minimum wages, as against the earlier proposal of N56,500 it earlier presented to the government. Blueprint gathered that labour made a demand of N66,500 per month, adding that the N56,000, earlier presented to the government two years ago, was no longer tenable, considering the present economic reality. To this end, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have presented the new demand to the government through a Joint memorandum submitted to the Tripartite Committee on the Review of the National Minimum Wage. The new demand, according to the memorandum, was based on three approaches and the result of independent study carried out.
“Based on the three approaches, and the independent study result reported above, the two labour centres demand for a new monthly National Minimum Wage of N66, 500, which is approximately the average of the implied minimum wages derived under the four approaches. “These approaches are minimum wage for some African countries; analysis based on the minimum cost of providing basic needs; a living wage approach and analysis based on rising cost of living,” the memorandum said.
According to the organised labour, it is no longer news that the current national minimum wage of N18,000, which was approved in 2011, can no longer sustain the standard of living of an average Nigerian worker. They further noted that “it is barely enough to meet basic needs in terms of feeding, paying for house rent, children’s school fees, transportation fare, medical bills, utility bills and occasionally catering for the extended family system in line with the country’s value system.
“Life indeed has become unbearable for an average worker of this country because of the quantum of the current national minimum wage, vis-avis its usefulness in the market environment. “Consequently, there is an urgent need to review upward the minimum wage of N18,000 to meet the current economic realities and lift many workers out of the poverty trap. That step will go a long way to satisfy the International labour organisation provision on minimum wage fi xing.”
Nothing has changed – Wabba Commenting on the fresh demand, President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, confirmed the development but was silent on the new figure. He said: “I will not be drawn to mention figures because it is not relevant at the moment, as organised labour considered the current realities in the country. “Certain variables and current inflation in the country have made us to make an upward review of the demand. The new submission from labour is not different from the initial submission. We made a demand almost two years ago and that demand was the beginning of the process.
“So, the demand of labour was based on the agreement we had on the five- year-circle which we believe was due and also considering the level off inflation, we made a demand of N56,000.” He said the tripartite committee, after its constitution by Mr. President, requested state governors and employers, private sector and organised labour to resubmit their memorandum to the committee for discussion to commence. The NLC president said in furtherance to the request; states, federal government, NECA and labour submitted their memos.
“But what we did was to look at the dynamics of the times because the discussion will be evidence-based. So, we undertook a study and made a submission. This is the logic and not that we have submitted a new position. “It was the same memo that we submitted, but what we did was to look at the indices because a lot have changed between 2015 and 2018. “So that cannot be regarded as a change of position because the process of arriving at a minimum wage in line with convention 121 is evidencebased. “Everybody submitting memo or document will have to back it up with logic and not just quote figures from the air,’’ he added. He, however, said that every variable that was supposed to be considered for a discussion on the new minimum wage has been considered. “Clearly, what I want to inform you about is that we are committed to what we have,” Wabba said.
Committee holds public hearing nationwide Meanwhile, the NLC boss has announced that the tripartite committee will hold nationwide public hearing on the new national minimum across the country. Wabba disclosed this while briefi ng newsmen at the end of the Central Working meeting yesterday in Abuja. Wabba said the zonal hearing is expected to be conducted in the six geo-political zones, including Lagos and Abuja beginning from April 23, 2018. The public hearing is to consider memorandum from labour, governors and employers of labour. He added that the next meeting of the committee would be held on April 17, to discuss procedure for the public hearing.
