Lagos’ 85,000 minimum wage unexpected, says union

The Lagos State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council has said announcement of N85,000 minimum wage approval by Gov. Babjide Sanwo-Olu was unexpected.

The council made this known in a statement signed by all chairpersons and secretaries of the union on Thursday.

They include Mrs. Olusegun Balogun and Aladetan Abiodun, both representing Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter.

NAN reports that Sanwo-Olu, during an interview on a television station, announced that his administration would pay workers a minimum wage of N85,000.

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The union said that labour learned of the N85,000 minimum wage approval through the mass media.

“To provide context, on Monday, Oct. 16, 2024, at approximately 4.00 p.m., the union received a call inviting us to a meeting to discuss the minimum wage.

“As a responsible representative of the workforce, we attended the meeting.

“However, we made it clear that formal discussions could not proceed in the absence of all relevant stakeholders.

“In line with best practices and in the spirit of social dialogue, we insisted that negotiations should be inclusive.

“As a result, the meeting was adjourned to October 21, 2024 at 10.00 a.m., the public announcement of any figure was, therefore, unexpected, “ it said.

The union said, however, that its comments did not undermine the governor’s right to make public statements on governance matters.

It said that it was underscoring that, while Sanwo-Olu’s announcement was well-intended, the proper negotiation process had not taken place.

“This figure was not the product of any formal discussions or negotiations with the union,“ it said.

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The union, however, said that Sanwo-Olu’s offer of N85,000 reflected an understanding that Lagos workers deserved higher wages, given the economic pressures they faced.

The union said it was pleased to note that the governor acknowledged that wage and salary matters should be the product of negotiation.

“This offer sets a positive tone for the upcoming negotiations, especially considering the governor’s progressive stance on exceeding the national benchmark for minimum wage.

“We are confident that the final outcome of these negotiations will bring meaningful economic relief to our members,“ the union said.