South East workers demand N540, 000 new wage

At the Southeast zonal public hearing organised by the Tripartite committee on national minimum wage, in Enugu, the workers also called for extension of the proposed minimum wage increase to pensioners in the country as a sense of belonging.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), South East zone, has canvassed for an upward review of the national minimum wage and the removal of any governor that fails to implement it when passed into law.

The South East workers made this demand at a zonal public hearing organised by the tripartite committee on national minimum wage, in Enugu, yesterday, calling for extension of the proposed minimum wage increment to pensioners in the country to give them a sense of belonging.

The Chairman of the South East zonal public hearing, and other South East governors were absent from the parley.

While the organised labour represented by NLC suggested an upward review of the national minimum wage to N540, 000 per month, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said it should be pegged at N447, 000 per month for workers in the region.

Both unions, however, agreed that, henceforth, the review should be made every two years, following the prevailing economic condition of the country, adding that the N250, 000 penalty against any governor that failed to pay should be abolished and replaced with impeachment of the erring governor.

Enugu State Chairman of the NLC, Fabian Nwigbo, who presented the position of the union in the region, stated that the demand had become necessary, following the prevailing economic situation in the country.

He said: “If you consider what is happening today, you won’t be talking about minimum wage review. We had the last review in 2019, but some states have not implemented it. Nigeria’s minimum wage is less than 10 per cent of those paid in other countries. When we had minimum wage in 2019, some items were as low as possible; but today, rent has increased, food prices have increased, and the salary of workers has remained stagnant.

“Let us take a family of six persons, for instance; it will cost about N2,000 for each to be fed daily, and when you multiply that by six, that would be N12,000 per day for the family. This is not hospital bills, transportation, housing, security, among others.

“So our stance is that N540,000 should be paid as minimum wage as it could do a little to workers.”