South West Pensioners Reject N70,000 Minimum Wage, Tell NLC What to Do

• The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress counterparts have been urged to resume their N250,000 minimum wage demand
• Pensioners in the South West made this call to organised labour on Thursday, while reacting to the sudden fuel price hike
• Legit.ng reports that the NNPC Limited announced estimated petrol pump prices across all states in Nigeria as Lagos residents will now pay N920 per litre, while in some other states, a litre of petrol could go for as high as N1,056

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

On Thursday, September 19, pensioners in the South West rejected the N70,000 minimum wage, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had recently signed into law.

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Minimum wage: Labour told to renew N250,000 demand

This was in response to a recent increase in the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

As reported by The Punch, the pensioners, under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Southwest Zone, in a communique at the end of their zonal meeting held in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital, called on labour to renew the demand for N250,000 minimum wage because of the current economic realities.

Speaking on the minimum wage, NUP southwest publicity secretary, Dr Olusegun Abatan, said:

“We found out that before the N70,000 was even implemented, the Federal Government has gone ahead to further increase the price of petrol, and we concluded that the two labour centres that went into that negotiation went there blindfolded and naïve.

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“The Federal Government took advantage of the naivety and inexperience of Comrade Joe Ajaero, and Festus Usifo, by tricking them into accepting N70,000 and that it would not increase fuel price, but no sooner they agreed to kowtow what was said about N70,000, the Federal Government went ahead to increase fuel price.

“To that extent, the Southwest is rejecting the N70,000 minimum wage that Labour has negotiated and advised that Labour should go back to the negotiating table and insist on the N250,000 they initially wanted.

“Before you know it, the N2,000 that the Federal Government said it was going to increase the fuel price to will eventually emerge. Labour should go back. The value of the N70,000 is just about 60 litres of fuel.

“Labour should go back to negotiate N250,000 minimum wage. They have our backing on whatever is involved even strike to achieve a realistic minimum wage,” the pensioners said.

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Read more about new minimum wage here:

• Kogi govt begin moves to implement N70,000 new minimum wage
• Minimum wage: Kano govt discloses when workers will be paid N70k
• Minimum wage: Niger governor Bago gives new condition to pay workers N70k

Minimum wage: FG warns private sector against paying below N70k

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government has mandated a new minimum wage for the private sector.

This directive, aimed at addressing the nation's economic challenges, was highlighted at a recent meeting in Lagos.

The government has warned that non-compliance with the N70,000 minimum wage could result in severe penalties, including jail term for employers.

Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng

Source: Legit.ng