It’s no news that the Nigerian Labor Congress is making a request for an increase of minimum wage. The request which has been read on the senate floor is for an upgrade from N18,00 minimum wage to N56,000 considering the state of the economy and cost of living.
However, the Labour Union has threatened a nationwide strike if the Federal government refuses to pay attention to their request and review the workers’minimum wage.
On Thursday, the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), an affiliate member of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), in Kaduna warned that labour may shut down Nigeria.
Comrade John Adaji the NUTGTWN National President, and the General Secretary, Comrade Issa Aremu called on the Federal Government to urgently constitute a committee on the review of the current national minimum wage.
According to Aremu, “As demonstrated by workers during the May Day in Abuja, Nigeria risks national industrial crisis except governments at all levels give due attention to the critical issue of compensation of workers”.
“Hungry workers are legitimately angry workers. Nigerian workers are not only hungry but legitimately angry”
“We commend both the Senate and the House of Representatives for their respective facilitating roles to address the current issue of national minimum wage” He added that the responsibility to make this happen lies on the President.
“National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2011 which offers the current N18,000 was for a 5-year cycle due for review in 2015” he said.
“The five-year time limit was to avoid minimum wage stagnation and attendant seemingly increases that follow. In UK minimum wage is reviewed yearly. Today it is £7.5 per hour, about N37,000 per day”
“The five-year time limit was to avoid minimum wage stagnation and attendant seemingly increases that follow. In UK minimum wage is reviewed yearly. Today it is £7.5 per hour, about N37,000 per day”
“Long before the current recession, Nigeria workers have long been in depression. With Naira devaluation and high inflation, 2010 negotiated national minimum wage of N18,000 which was about $120 in 2010 has fallen to below $50 in 2017 worsening income poverty”.
Nigeria cannot get out of recession with poorly paid work-force”, the labour leader said.