Organised labour continues to push divergent positions on what should be appropriate minimum wage amid sliding standards of living among Nigerian workers, in an economy with unstable and weak currency.
While the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) are demanding N66,500, the United Labour Congress (ULC) has submitted a proposal for N93,000, all of them citing inflationary trends, depreciating value of the naira, high cost of living and transportation in the absence of efficient/organised public transportation system, as reasons the Federal Government should see the urgency to review the N18,000 national minimum wage.
The Federal Government had been seen in an unusually slow motion towards the review of the current minimum wage, which came into force in 2011 and meant for a review every five years.
By the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act, the N18,000 ought to have been reviewed in March 2016.
However, the delay in the review of the wage may have already robbed the workers of their right for two years.
A source in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment who confided in BusinessDay that the Federal Government might not be favourably disposed to paying any arrears if and when the committee agreed on a new minimum wage and approval given by the National Executive Council (NEC).
At a public hearing organised by the tripartite committee on National Minimum Wage, for the Southwest Zone, Thursday, in Lagos, stakeholders including NLC, ULC and civil societies took different positions.
The NLC/TUC in a joint memorandum submitted at the public hearing, routed for N66,500; ULC asked for N93,000, while members of the civil society called for an amendment of a section of the wage act, which limits the national minimum wage benchmark to organisations with 50 workers and above.
This, they argued shot many workers in the private sector out of the minimum wage bracket. They noted that the section should be amended to capture organisations with three workers and above.
Agnes Sessi, chairman, political committee, NLC, Lagos State Chapter, said the current wage structure could not sustain any worker at this critical period in the nation’s economy.
According to Sessi, the NLC and TUC believed that the N66,500 benchmark would lift the working class out of the poverty trap and would conform with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards on minimum to meet the needs of workers and their families.
Sunday Esan, representative of ULC in his submission, said N93, 000 must be the benchmark. He argued that N18,000 translates to $50 per month for an average worker and this placed Nigeria among the least paying country in Sub Sahara Africa when compared to South Africa ($517); Ghana ($128); Gabon ($418); Kenya ($331); Ethiopia ($77) and Tanzania which pays $149 as minimum wage.
Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by Folasade Adesoye, the head of service, said there was a consensus of opinion on the need for workers to be reasonably remunerated and compensated in line with current economic realities, saying that this was why a provision was made in the law for periodic review of the national minimum wage as every worker deserved a wage that guaranteed decent standard of living.
Atiku Bagudu, governor of Kebbi State, represented by his deputy governor, Samaila Dabai, who chaired the discussions, said it was meant to collate the views of all stakeholders.
“This onerous task cannot be adequately carried out without the wide consultations, which this public hearing provides.”
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