NLC rejects N56,000 minimum wage, wants N90,000
– NLC have rejected their previous proposal of a minimum wage to FG, now demanding N90,000
– “We will gather, match through the streets, take the May Day to the real owners, the Nigerian workers and masses.”
A faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) rejected the N56,000 national minimum wage proposal to federal government earlier sent by the Ayuba Wabba-led NLC and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
Speaking on behalf of the organisation at a pre-May day symposium, titled “Inclusive Socio-Economic Space for Sustainable Development” Joe Ajaero, the factional leader, explained the desicion by discrepancy between a minimum wage and current economic realities.
The NLC faction demands N90,000 national minimum wage, provided that the exchange rate remains at the current level. In case it goes above N500 per dollar, it will demand more than N90,000.
Mr Ajaero said: “No sacrifice is too much to liberate the Nigerian workers. Every year, we go to the stadium to salute those who have been enslaving us, those who have refused to pay us minimum living national wage. But since last year, we have been forced to gather under the bridge of the National Stadium, which we have named `Workers Freedom Square’.
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We will gather, match through the streets, take the May Day to the real owners, the Nigerian workers and masses, to tell them that there is no electricity despite the astronomical tariff, that there is no fuel, that there are no good roads, that public universities are being closed down, that there are no jobs and so on and so forth.
Few days ago, we were told that N56.000 minimum wage proposal has been sent to the government. We want to tell you that we are not part of that because even as they were sending the proposal, they equally said that they know that the economy is bad. By the time you say that, it means that the proposal is dead on arrival.
We all know that the current minimum wage is less that the electricity bill paid by most workers. On our part, we are demanding N90,000 minimum wage. The N90,000 we are demanding is with a proviso, depending on the exchange rate. If the exchange rate goes above N500 a dollar, we will ask for more.”
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Addressing the gathering Dr. Femi Aborishade, the human rights activist and former lecturer at the Polytechnic in Ibadan, Oyo state, called on all NLC and TUC factions for unity to secure a national living minimum wage and eliminate poverty, unemployment and illiteracy institutionalized by yhr the ruling class.
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