The Organised Labour has dismissed the Federal Government’s proposal to introduce a new minimum wage of N48,000, citing a lack of clarity and transparency in the calculation process used to determine the figure.
The Vice President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Etim Okon, said on Monday that the government’s refusal to provide supporting evidence for the proposed wage has eroded trust in the negotiation process, News About Nigeria reports.
Okon, however, said the union will attend the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage’s meeting on Tuesday to present their demand for a living wage of N615,000.
Okon stated, “The proposal falls significantly short of meeting our needs and aspirations. The Federal Government has apologised, and the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, and we are going to appear and present our demand.”
He said the N48,000 proposed by the government was rejected due to a lack of transparency in how the figure was arrived at.
“We only rejected the N48,000 that the government presented because they did not show us how they arrived at that amount. That is taking cognizance of transportation, housing, food, utilities, health, and education, among others, which are basic needs of the people.”
The labour leader reiterated that the government must provide clear indices and variables used to arrive at the proposed wage.
“So, the government should come out clearly with what they are offering, with the indices and variables, and also how they arrived at that. This is all we are saying.”
This development comes after the NLC dismissed the federal government’s approved 35% pay rise for civil servants as ‘mischievous’ on May 1.
NLC President Joe Ajaero argued that the living wage should be N615,000, citing the expiration of the last minimum wage of N30,000 on April 18.
Ajaero accused the federal government of stalling the negotiation process and announcing a pay raise without reconvening the meeting.
