The Chairman of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, Bukar Goni Aji, has urged Labour to reconsider its minimum wage demand over prevailing economic conditions in the country.
Aji, who addressed journalists at the media briefing in Abuja last weekend, listed various incentives such as the N35,000 wage award for federal workers and N100 billion for gas-fuelled buses as reasons for Labour to accept the government’s offer of N62,000.
The chairman also listed various palliatives and investments in food production, manufacturing, and education as other measures put in place by the government to address the hardship in the country.
He said: “The committee agreed that where major and small businesses were closing down with the consequent loss of jobs, the outcome of a new minimum wage should be such that it would not trigger further massive job losses.”
However, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has expressed disappointment in the government’s offer, which appears disconnected from market realities.
In a chat with journalists in Abuja, Ajaero said: “When we requested a breakdown of what constitutes the government’s offer, the response was not forthcoming.
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“This lack of transparency suggests that the government is perhaps aware that its offer does not meet the basic economic needs of Nigerian workers, thereby undermining its credibility
“Perhaps, the government might be ashamed of the paltriness of the offer it was making to Nigerian workers, hence it was too heavy for them to mention.”
The organized labour is demanding N250,000 as a new minimum wage in the country, citing a nationwide survey that reflects the economic realities faced by the average Nigerian family.
The cost of living has increased significantly, with prices of basic commodities skyrocketing and purchasing power severely eroded.
Labour’s demand is based on current market prices, and they have urged the government to present a realistic offer that reflects the cost of living and the dignity of Nigerian workers.
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