The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has asked the Federal Government to increase the national minimum wage from N18, 000 to N66, 500.
The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has asked the Federal Government to increase the national minimum wage from N18, 000 to N66, 500.
The NLC made the call in Lagos on Thursday at a public hearing organized by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage for the South-West Zone. It argued that the current minimum is inadequate to sustain an average Nigerian worker.
Mrs. Agnes Sessi, Chairperson of NLC’s Political Committee, stated that the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have agreed that there should be an upward review of the minimum wage to reflect current economic realities.
According to her, the demand for a new minimum wage is informed by three factors, namely comparative analysis of minimum wages in some African countries, estimate of the monthly minimum cost of providing basic needs for a family of six and two dependents as well as an analysis based on rising cost of living over time.
The demand for a new minimum wage was endorsed by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN). Mr. Akeem Kazeem, ASCSN spokesman, said an upward review of the national minimum wage is long overdue.
Addressing the demand for a hike in the national minimum wage, Mrs. Folasade Adesoye, Head of Service, Lagos State, who represented the governor, agreed that workers need to be reasonably remunerated. She, however, pleaded with the workers’ unions to be flexible in their demands.