The Organised Labour has backed its call for a minimum wage of N615,000, insisting it’s what’s needed for an average Nigerian family to get by.
This was disclosed by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, during a visit to The Nation’s headquarters in Lagos.
Ajaero, accompanied by other union officials, highlighted the economic realities facing Nigerian workers, stressing the importance of a negotiated wage reflecting these challenges.
The delegation, received by senior editorial staff, discussed the pressing need for fair compensation given the rising cost of living. Ajaero, a former Labour reporter, emphasized that despite previous hesitations, the current economic climate necessitated action.
The proposed wage, unveiled on May Day, aims to address the growing financial strain on workers. Ajaero explained that factors like increased electricity tariffs and additional levies have further strained household budgets, justifying the need for a higher wage.
“We presented N615,000 as minimum wage to the Federal Government. But if you ask us to present again today, it is going to increase because when we were presenting that figure, things like electricity tariff had not increased. And there was no cybersecurity levy,” he said, asking: “Where are we going to get money to pay for these?”
“We looked at accommodation, food, medicals, education, and other utilities. We didn’t make provisions for communication, offerings, tithes and the like. Those are some of the things we took into cognisance before we arrived at N615,000.”
On accommodation, for instance, Ajaero said the NLC pegged it at N40,000 for a room and parlour apartment for a family of husband and wife and four children.
“This means that if you have a grandmother or mother-in-law, you are on your own because we did not calculate those,” he said.
NLC calculated feeding based on N500 per person per meal for a family of six.
“So, N500 per person is N1,500 per person in a day. For six tables in a month, we are going to have N270,000 for feeding,” he said, adding that N50,000 is for education and medicals each, assuming a worker does not go for surgery or send his or her children to private school, for instance.