The issue of wage review beyond the national minimum wage has become a trending discourse within the Labour movement, especially because of the increasing rate of inflation even before the implementation of the N70 000 new national minimum wage.
During May Day, it was also strident in the joint statement of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterparts, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively.
NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, who gave the hint in an interview with Vanguard lamented the level of economic hardship bedeviling Nigerians since the inception of the present administration.
Ajaero explained that the N70,000 new national minimum wage has failed to address the current cost of living.
According to him, when the NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC “went for the negotiations of the new national minimum wage, we had in mind that we were going to get a clear agreement based on the cost of living”.
He, however, lamented that the unions “met a government team that was unprepared”.
Ajaero said the unions asked “how much of the N70,000 they wanted to pay would go towards transport? What about basic needs? How much is housing? We tabulated the costs of cooking gas, a bag of rice, and other essentials.
“The government team didn’t have any response. At that time, the situation was biting seriously, and we insisted on a living wage.
“In the end, we didn’t get it. We wanted to benchmark it against inflation. If inflation increases, the wage should adjust automatically. But they still refused.
“So, after a national strike, numerous protests, and an agreement with the President that if we accepted N70,000, they would not increase the pump price (which they reneged on), we reluctantly accepted the N70,000. Now, the value of that N70,000 has been completely eroded.
“Even the wage award they gave as relief has stopped. You can see that we have every right to demand a cost of living allowance to address our current situation”.
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