The Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage has provided arguments for why organized labour should reconsider the amount it demands for the minimum wage.
According to The News Agency of Nigeria, during a Sunday address in Abuja, Committee Chairman, Goni Aji, emphasized that labor unions should reassess their position, taking into account both economic factors and non-monetary incentives that the Federal Government has already offered to workers.
Aji highlighted several such incentives: a N35,000 wage award for all treasury-paid federal workers, a N100 billion fund for the procurement of gas-fueled buses and conversion to gas kits, a N125 billion conditional grant, financial support for small and medium enterprises, and a N25,000 stipend to be distributed to 15 million households over three months.
Additionally, he mentioned the N185 billion in palliative loans given to states to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal, a N200 billion initiative to support the cultivation of hectares of land to enhance food production, a N75 billion investment to bolster the manufacturing sector, and a N1 trillion student loan fund for higher education.
Aji also pointed to the distribution of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains from strategic reserves and 60,000 metric tonnes of rice to the millers association.
He urged labor unions to take into account the recent salary increases—25 percent and 35 percent on all consolidated salary structures for federal workers—and the 90 percent subsidy on health costs for federal civil servants enrolled in the health insurance program. He encouraged acceptance of the N62,000 monthly wage being proposed by the Federal Government.
Aji noted that the commissioning of the light rail in Abuja aims to reduce transportation costs until the end of the year, calling it a significant achievement that would alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
Moreover, Aji mentioned that “the freedom of civil servants to engage in agriculture” and the Federal Government’s approval for the inclusion of ICT services as alternative income sources represent further efforts to support workers.
He underscored the importance of ensuring that the new minimum wage does not exacerbate job losses, especially as many businesses face closures. He also argued that linking the strike to electricity price hikes was unfair to the negotiating parties.
Organized labor is demanding a N250,000 monthly minimum wage, but the Federal Government and the Organized Private Sector have proposed N62,000 per month.
