Minimum wage review: Govs shun public hearings, as Labour unions differ on proposed hike

…Unions peg minimum wage between N850,000 – N447,000

By Moses Adeniyi & our correspondents

Public hearings to set a  new minimum wage in the Country have witnessed divergent submissions from Labour unions in the geo-political zones of the Federation.

Recently, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, had said if the situation worsens, the NLC might be forced to place a demand of N1million as minimum wage for workers.

The organised Labour has been in a struggle with the Government on the present conditions of hardship which was recently worsened by the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol.

The organised Labour had recently staged a protest against the failure of the Federal Government to honour the agreements it struck on the measures to cushion the hardship on the part of workers.

President Bola Tinubu had last week derided the organised Labour, stating that staging four protests in about nine months of his government was uncalled for, daring them to meet his government at the polls in 2027 if they choose not to cooperate with the administration.

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

The committee had scheduled March 7 for public hearings in all the six geo-political zones in the country.

At the commencement of public hearings to consider a new minimum wage on Thursday, views by the arms of the NLC and other affiliate unions were divergent as to the value of pay to set the minimum wage.

For instance, the NLC in the Southwest geo-political zone placed a demand of N794,000 as the new national minimum wage for workers.

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, the State Capital.

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

…South-East NLC, TUC differ on proposed minimum wage

In the Southeast, the NLC, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) differed in views on the value that the new minimum wage should be pegged at.

While the NLC submitted N540,000 for the new minimum wage; the TUC proposed a sum of N447,000.

They, however, both concurred that the minimum wage law should be amended for reviews every two years, against the five years time which the law presently prescribes.

Submitting positions at the Southeast zonal public hearing organized by The Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage (TCNMW) in Enugu, on Thursday, the TUC chairman for Enugu state, Comrade Ben Asogwa, said that the increase in wage had become inevitable based on the present economic situation in the country.

“We can’t bear the suffering again, we believe that the needful should be done, we’re disappointed that the Governors are not here. We have seen that five years is a long time for the review and so we have proposed that the minimum wage should be reviewed every two years.

“We are also saying that the law should reflect that any Governor who is not ready to pay the minimum wage law should vacate his office and not the fine of N250,000 as recommended by the law. TUC is looking forward to the possibility of implementation of the wage and we can’t give a different proposal from what the national leadership of the TUC has made and so we affirm that the least we can take is N447,000 given every economic indices. The South East stands on it and is waiting for the President to append his signature,” Asogwa said.

Speaking on the discourse, the Enugu state chairman of the NLC, Fabian Nwigbo, lamented that Nigeria’s minimum wage was less than eight percent of what is obtained in other African countries.

“Rice, Garri and other food items are now high and minimum wage is still N30,000. So we’re asking the leaders to consider the plight of Nigerians. In a family of six their breakfast cannot be anything less than N2,000 which translates to about N300,000 per month. If you include housing, social activities and other bills, one would be looking at over N500,000 per month. So it should be N540,000 per month as minimum wage,” he highlighted.

He also stated that wage determination should remain in the exclusive list and asked that the local government councils and the state governments should always comply with the wage directives.

“Our representatives should impeach any Governor that violates the law and pensioners should be beneficiaries of the new wage,” Nwigbo said.

…NLC FCT proposes N709,000 minimum wage, TUC N447,000

In the North Central zone, no fewer than 15 organisations met and presented their submissions to the council in Abuja.

While the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the NLC, proposed N709,000 as new minimum wage for Nigerian workers, the TUC demanded N447,000.

The NLC FCT Chairman, Dr Stephen Knabayi, made the submission at the North Central Zonal Public Hearing organised by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage on Thursday in Abuja.

Knabayi, while making the submission, said the Congress took cognisance of the present economic conditions in the country in arriving at the figure.

“We have a common position. This position considers the current economic plight in the country.

“We have the submission that N709,000 per month should be the minimum wage for the workers in the country.

“We believe that Nigeria has what it takes, the leadership should commit themselves to getting this money paid and for us to have better treatment for the working people of Nigeria,” he said.

The TUC, FCT chapter, making its submission at the public hearing, proposed N447,000 as the new minimum wage .

Mr Amaege Chukwudi, who represented the  TUC chapter, said, “This will give Nigerian workers a minimum level of comfort and enable them to cope with the current level of economic hardship, which has turned the majority of them to beggars.

“So for us in the FCT, we expect the minimum wage to run across the three tiers of government.”

Other affiliate Labour representatives laid differing submissions. For instance, Prof. Mohammad Mohammed, of the Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria, proposed N440,333.33 as minimum wage, while representatives of the Forum of Retired Directors of Federal Civil Service proposed N70,000.

…Northwest NLC proposes N485,000 minimum wage

In the Northwest,  the NLC proposed a pay value of N485,000 as the new minimum wage for workers.

The proposal was contained in its submission on Thursday at the Northwest public hearing presented by the Kano State Chairman of the NLC, 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 assess the least income that would be sufficient for the survival of a family of six,” Inuwa was quoted.

…South-South NLC proposes N850,000 minimum wage

The South-South chapter of the NLC proposed the sum of Eight hundred and fifty thousand Naira as new minimum wage for workers in the South -South geopolitical zone.

Chairman of NLC, Akwa Ibom State Council, Comrade Sunny James  presented the position of the zone  on Thursday in Uyo, the state capital during the zonal South- South Public hearings organised by the Tripartite Committee on National minimum wage.

This was further supported by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

Meanwhile, the organised Labour at their zones on Thursday lamented the absence of governors at the public hearing.