Organised labour has urged President Bola Tinubu to support Nigerian workers by approving their demand for a N250,000 minimum wage.
Labour said the president’s empathy is needed following the current economic hardship pillaging the country.
State govt stifling chances of better wages for workers
As reported by Vanguard, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, a member of the organised labour’s negotiating team in the tripartite committee of the new national minimum wage and president-general of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), blamed state governors for hindering efforts to secure a reasonable wage for public workers.
His words:
“At the negotiating table, we saw them haggling from N30,000 to N48,000 and then to N60,000, treating it like a market bargain for tomatoes and onions before finally settling on N62,000.
“Even before reaching N62,000, Organized Labour made concessions to find common ground. Yes, the country is struggling.We all know how tough the economy is, and workers have been unhappy with the economic downturn.
“At the end of negotiations, we had two proposals: one from the government and OPS recommending N62,000, and one from Labour, including TUC and NLC, proposing N250,000.”
Nigerian Tribune reported that this was even as NLC’s general secretary, Chris Onyeka, said that certain governors were intentionally choosing to disregard the national minimum wage law.
Onyeka added that the implication for that is a direct refusal to pay workers their monthly salary.
Tinubu urged to sideline state governors
Adeyanju also urged President Tinubu to show empathy to the public workers and to look away from the footdragging of the state governors.
He said:
“Now, it’s up to Mr. President to show empathy towards workers. This minimum wage adjustment happens every five years. Between now and then, we need to consider how the new minimum wage will impact workers’ lives in their workplaces.
“That’s why we’re appealing to him as a friend of workers who has consistently promised to provide a living wage to approve the N250,000.
“There is nothing preventing him from approving it, but we’ve heard he stated he would only approve what the economy can sustain.”
