Organized Labor Urges Federal Government To Announce New Minimum Wage

As International Workers' Day approaches, Nigeria's organized labor has urged the federal government to increase the minimum wage.

The national vice president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Tommy Etim, said the government should set a new minimum wage for the workers, noting that the International Workers' Day, which fell on May 1, was considered their Christmas Day.

Etim pointed out that the government's newly initiated policies (hinting at fuel subsidy removal) have thrown more Nigerians into poverty. The fuel subsidy removal was announced on May 29 last year by President Bola Tinubu, resulting in increased prices of fuel and food.

"The Workers' Day is a type of Christmas Day to Nigerian workers and there are lots of expectations," Trade Union Congress' National Vice President said, Punch reported.

"The welfare of workers is paramount and should be taken into consideration. It is also expected that lots of incentives will be rolled out to cushion the effects of the policies initiated by the government which have continued to limit the purchasing power of workers and Nigerians as a whole."

Etim stressed that the purchasing power was weak across the country.

Furthermore, he said that the organized labor -- comprising Nigerian Labor Congress and TUC -- was also expecting that the government finally use the opportunity to launch the CNG buses, which it promised over a year ago.

The federal government last year announced that it would be converting 10 million Premium Motor Spirit vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas in three years. This initiative was to be implemented in partnership with the private sector, as per Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo.

An executive of the organized labor, who kept his identity secret, said that the union was demanding N615,000 every month, disclosing that this amount was reached after consultations between NLC (Nigeria Labor Congress) and TUC.

"We (NLC and TUC) have given our figures to the government (on the minimum wage), and it is N615,000. That is the position of the NLC and TUC on the matter. The government has been informed as well," the executive said.