Minimum Wage: Labour Rejects Tinubu's ₦250k Offer, Reason Emerges
- President Bola Tinubu's proposal to pay ₦250,000 minimum wage to Nigeria workers was reportedly rejected by the labour leaders
- Joe Ajaero, the president of the NLC, disclosed that the labor union rejected the proposal because it required an increase in petrol prices
- Ajaero disclosed that the proposal was made during the union's meeting with Tinubu, adding that the union rejected it in the interest of Nigerians
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) rejected President Bola Tinubu's proposal to pay a minimum wage of ₦250,000 because it was conditional on increasing petrol prices
According to NLC president Joe Ajaero, the proposal was made during a meeting with the president in Abuja. Ajaero stated that the organised labour turned down the offer, and prioritised the welfare of Nigerians.
Source: Twitter
Why we accepted ₦70,000 minimum wage - labour
While speaking on Channels TV's Politics Today on Thursday, July 18, Ajaero explained that accepting the ₦70,000 minimum wage was a compromise to avoid further hardship for Nigerians.
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He emphasised that the labour movement is willing to make sacrifices, but not at the expense of Nigerians.
The price of petrol has skyrocketed from ₦184 in May 2023 to around ₦700 currently, depending on the location. This significant increase followed Tinubu's decision to end petrol subsidy.
How Tinubu removed fuel subsidy
On May 29, during his inauguration, Tinubu announced an end to the era of fuel subsidies. The development led to fuel scarcity in the country and a subsequent hike in the price of the commodity.
Despite the hike, the organized labour agreed to a ₦70,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers. According to Ajaero, this decision was made in consideration of the new wage review cycle, which will now occur every three years instead of five.
President Tinubu is expected to send an executive bill to the National Assembly to formalise the agreed-upon minimum wage, which will then be legislated into law.
The development aims to provide a more regular and sustainable approach to wage reviews in the country.
See the video of the interview here:
Lawyer reacts as Tinubu approved N70k minimum wage
A legal practitioner, Titilop Anifowoshe, who reacted to the development while speaking with Legit.ng advocated for an hourly wage and digitalisation of civil servants. She said:
"I believe that rather than dwelling on wages, our tripartite committee ought to focus on increasing worker productivity and agitating for an hourly wage. Implementing digital attendance systems would allow for precise worker attendance and performance monitoring."
NLC hails Tinubu with aluta song
Legit.ng earlier reported that the NLC and TUC leaders were seen in a trending video hailing Tinubu at the end of their minimum wage meeting at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday, July 18.
Tinubu had pegged the minimum wage at N70,000 after months of negotiations between the government, labour, and the organised private sector.
The president also promised the workers other incentives, including the review of the minimum wage every three years.
Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
