The Federal Government (FG) is advocating for a new minimum wage of N62,000, despite facing resistance from the Labour sector. On Sunday, the Presidency explained that the Organised Labour’s demand for a minimum wage of N250,000 is not feasible, warning that the FG cannot allocate all its resources to meet this request.
Bayo Onanuga, a spokesperson for the Presidency, emphasized the need for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to consider that the nation’s resources must benefit all Nigerians, not just the members of their organizations, who make up less than 10% of the population.
“That is why we keep telling Labour to be realistic because the government cannot use all its resources to pay workers. They have other things to do. The workers we are even talking about are not up to 10 percent of the population. Many people are self-employed or engaged in the private sector, who are not members of Labour, and are not affected by this demand,” Onanuga stated.
He further urged Labour to reconsider their stance critically instead of consistently threatening to shut down the system. “What the FG did was in consultation with the private sector and others. Only Labour, which appears to be in the minority, kept saying they won’t accept N62,000. They are not even employers but employees,” he added.
Onanuga also noted that any changes to the minimum wage would need to involve consultation with various stakeholders, including the private sector, state, and local governments, ensuring that they are able to comply with the new wage.
“Let us wait and hear what they are going to say after their return from the ILO conference. But they have to be realistic,” he urged.
“I am not certain when he plans to do it (Bill). Maybe after Sallah. But I am not sure whether the FG is meeting with them or whether its position on the minimum wage has changed. Don’t forget the current amount on the table was arrived at by the committee that also has the private sector where the NECA and NACIMMA were also represented.”
Onanuga concluded by reiterating that the figure of N62,000 was agreed upon by the FG delegation, sub-nationals, employers, NECA, and other sectors, and the FG cannot unilaterally decide on a different amount without their involvement.
