The Tripartite Committee established by the Federal Government to review the minimum wage, on Sunday, urged the Organised Labour to reassess their wage demands.
Bukar Aji, the Committee’s Chairman, in a chat with News Agency of Nigeria, asked labour to reconsider their position based on economic factors and the non-monetary incentives provided by the government.
He highlighted several incentives of the government, including the N35,000 wage award for all treasury-paid federal workers, N100 billion for gas-fuelled buses and gas kit conversions, a N125 billion conditional grant, financial inclusion for small and medium enterprises, and a N25,000 monthly stipend for 15 million households over three months.
The Chairman also listed the N185 billion in palliative loans to states to mitigate the effects of petrol subsidy removal, N200 billion to boost agricultural production, N75 billion to strengthen the manufacturing sector, and N1 trillion for student loans, among other interventions.
Aji further called on the labour unions to consider accepting the N62,000 minimum wage offered by the Federal government.
The Committee, he said, is trying to avert a situation where the minimum wage would lead to further job losses, especially as many businesses are already struggling.
He said in addition to “the freedom of civil servants to engage in agriculture, the Federal Government has approved the inclusion of ICT services for alternate sources of income”.
Reacting on behalf of Labour, one of the negotiators, according to Vanguard, tasked the Chairman to urge the government to make its offer reflect the economic conditions and the cost of living faced by workers.
His words: “We have carefully considered the chairman’s appeal for organised labour as represented by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, to take into account the prevailing economic realities in the ongoing national minimum wage negotiations with the federal government and the organised private sector.
“We understand the complexity of the economic situation. However, it is imperative to address several critical points that underpin our stance.
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“The call for NLC and TUC to consider economic realities is, at best, a reflection of a limited understanding of the actual hardships faced by Nigerian workers. The nationwide survey we conducted clearly delineates the stark economic realities for the average Nigerian family.
“The cost of living has escalated dramatically, driven by governmental policies that have led to increased prices of petrol, higher electricity tariffs, and a significant devaluation of the naira.
“These policies have created a situation where basic needs of workers are increasingly unaffordable.
“Our demand for a national minimum wage of N250,000 is not arbitrary but firmly grounded in the economic realities dictated by the current market prices of essential goods and services.
“The prices of basic commodities have skyrocketed, and the purchasing power of the average Nigerian worker has been severely eroded. It is crucial to recognize that Labour’s demand is based on comprehensive data reflecting the true cost of living in Nigeria today.
“We may wish to remind the chairman that a bag of 50kg Rice is about N80,000, a decent tuber of yam is about N7, 000; garri is N3,500 for half paint bucket, bread is N2,000 per loaf, meat is about N6,000/kg, oil is about N2,000/75L, electricity is about N50,000/month, while transport is about N3,000 daily to and from Gwagwalada to Berger in Abuja and N4, 000 from Ipaja to Lagos Island daily etc.
“The chairman should know that our wages are supposed to meet these basic needs and others and these are some of the realities that he asked us to base our demands on which we have done since the beginning of the negotiation exercise.
“It is rather disappointing that government’s offer appears disconnected from these market realities. When we requested a breakdown of what constitutes the government’s offer, the response was not forthcoming.
“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, government may be ashamed of the paltriness of the offer it is making to Nigerian workers, thus it is too heavy for them to mention.
“We urge you to redirect your advice towards the government to be realistic in its approach to this negotiation. The government’s offer should reflect the actual economic conditions and the cost of living faced by workers.”
