By: Nwakaji Peace Martins
Organized Labor has made it clear that they will not settle for anything less than N100,000 as the minimum wage, as negotiations between their representatives and the Federal Government intensify, according to sources reported by Saturday Newsmen.
Numerous reliable sources from both the Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Labour Congress, who spoke with Saturday Newsmen, emphasized that the Federal Government and the organized private sector should not anticipate that labor will accept anything below a six-figure sum.
The unions expressed that the government’s attitude toward the negotiations was lacking seriousness. They stated that the adjustment from N48,000 to N57,000 was too insignificant to be considered a shift in positions.
They highlighted that President Bola Tinubu pledged to pay a living wage when he assumed office, and on Workers’ Day, but N57,000 did not meet the criteria for such a wage.
The sources also mentioned that they were gearing up for a national executive council meeting on Monday in preparation for a meeting with the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage scheduled for Wednesday.
The ongoing negotiations regarding the new minimum wage were postponed until Wednesday after Organized Labor turned down the new N54,000 minimum wage proposal by the Federal Government.
It was reported that the Federal Government raised its offer from the initial N48,000 to N54,000.
The Tuesday meeting was a result of Organized Labor staging a walkout following the proposal of N48,000 as the minimum wage by the Federal Government during the previous week’s meeting.
During that meeting, the Organized Private Sector also proposed N54,000 while labor stood firm on its initial N615,000 living wage demand, which was later reduced to N497,000.
One of our reporters, who spoke with sources present at the follow-up meeting on Tuesday, discovered that the Federal Government increased its offer from N48,000 to N54,000.
The government’s side showed no signs of seriousness, according to the labor leader. He mentioned that even state governors were absent, and those who represented them, like Bauchi and Niger states, lacked the authority to speak on their behalf.
Regarding the private sector, they had not engaged with them before the meeting was adjourned, but they hoped that they would revise their initial offer as well.
Organized Labor reiterated on Monday its deadline of May 31, 2024, for the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, stood by the demand for a N615,000 minimum wage, stating that the amount was determined after a thorough analysis of the current economic climate and the requirements of an average Nigerian family of six.
He attributed the breakdown in negotiations to the government and the Organized Private Sector, accusing them of not acting reasonably.
In a statement issued at the conclusion of the jointly held NEC meeting by the NLC and TUC, signed by Ajaero and the TUC President, Festus Osifo, the unions acknowledged the ongoing negotiations between the NLC/TUC, the OPS, and the Federal Government regarding the new national minimum wage.
Regarding the negotiation breakdown, the Financial Secretary of the NLC, Hakeem Ambali, pointed out that the extent of the shift in position by Organized Labor had been substantial, moving from N615,000 to N497,000.
“When you consider the significant shift in position by Organized Labor, it is quite substantial. The Federal Government’s adjustment is still quite small. We expect the Federal Government to consider and fulfill its promise of providing a living wage to Nigerian workers. That is our stance.
“The meeting has been adjourned until next Tuesday. Our position is N497,000. We are observing the Federal Government and other bargaining partners to make substantial shifts in their positions, not the incremental figures being proposed. This is not in line with labor’s expectations. Any proposal less than six figures is not acceptable,” he remarked.
Another senior labor leader, who opted to remain anonymous, mentioned that if the Federal Government and the OPS were to propose a figure of N100,000, Organized Labor might consider it.
He stated, “They have not yet presented the N100,000, as recommended by the experts they consulted. Anything below N100,000 is an affront to us as workers.”
Another TUC national leader, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed disappointment in the OPS for aligning with the Federal Government.
He explained, “The representatives of the Organized Private Sector, who sided with the government in offering workers N57,000 as the minimum wage, are doing themselves more harm than good. The reason is that heavy taxation is crippling the OPS. Economic stimulation cannot be achieved through excessive taxation. For instance, if Organized Labor decides to strike today, the government would not suffer as much as the OPS. Their losses would be substantial.
“The government has ways to recover its losses, but the OPS would pull out of the economy and shut down. It is expected that the OPS and the Federal Government look beyond their partnership. A sensible OPS would collaborate with Organized Labor. This is because even those employed in the OPS are workers. Regardless of the investments made, labor plays a crucial role among the factors of production.”
Additionally, he noted, “They need to understand that whatever they produce will be consumed by other workers. The government uses electricity without paying, while a worker pays for it. This undermines the economy. We are simply stating the reality.”
He further emphasized that anything below a six-figure minimum wage would be dismissed by Organized Labor.
The source added, “Anything below six figures in the national minimum wage negotiation will not ensure industrial peace and harmony. The consequence of that is, that when you consider the loss of manpower against the financial implications, the government would incur significant losses. We may not have weapons, but we have the right to withhold our services.”
The source reiterated that Organized Labor would not hesitate to go on strike if the government reneged on its commitment.
He stated, “Even the International Labour Organization recognizes the right to strike as fundamental. This means that even in a court of law, striking is our right. This is why we have issued that notice for them to be aware. We have given them sufficient time to decide.
“We are prepared to shift our position, but the government must be willing to negotiate a minimum wage in good faith. The issue isn’t the capacity to pay but the willingness to pay. The government must learn to reduce the cost of governance.”
Addressing the states that had yet to commence payment of the old minimum wage of N30,000, which was agreed upon in 2019, the NLC spokesperson, Ben Upah, stated, “The states that have not been paying the old N30,000 minimum wage are Kogi, Zamfara, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Sokoto.”
Meanwhile, Organized Labor stated that in order to lower their demand, the Federal Government must be willing to present a reasonable offer.
In an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, a prominent source who is a labor leader and a member of the tripartite committee on minimum wage informed our correspondent that labor leaders would convene before the negotiations on Tuesday.
The labor leader also mentioned that Organized Labor was open to proposing a lower figure as a living wage if the government offered a reasonable sum.
“It’s a matter of ‘if they go higher, we will go lower.’ They need to present a reasonable proposal for us to reciprocate with a lower one. There’s no other way around it.
“We also have a method of convening among ourselves as members of Organized Labor before each committee meeting. This will assist us in presenting a unified stance during the meeting. As long as the government is willing to put forth a reasonable proposal, we will meet them halfway,” the leader concluded.
‘Why Anambra Can’t Meet N30,000’
On another note, the Anambra State Government attributed its inability to comply with the current N30,000 minimum wage to a shortage of funds.
It was reported that the monthly pension contributions deducted from workers’ salaries had not been remitted to the appropriate entities since 2019.
This issue raised concerns among labor leaders, who called for the cessation of deductions from their salaries.
In an interview with one of our correspondents on Friday, a source from the state Ministry of Finance, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that there was currently no standard minimum wage in the state.
He indicated that while some workers in the state received N18,000 and N25,000, others received N28,500 as the minimum wage. The Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, had established a committee to address the minimum wage matter and resolve any uncertainties.
“The state government has not been paying a minimum wage of N30,000. The shortage of funds and diminishing resources from federal allocation are cited as reasons for this situation. The minimum wage used to be around N18,000 until the previous administration added N5,000 to it.
“However, the current administration, some time ago, was providing an additional N12,000 to workers for several months until it ceased,” the source stated.
When reached for comment, an NLC leader in the state, who requested anonymity, mentioned that seven issues were discussed and resolved during the meeting with the governor. He also indicated that a tripartite committee would be formed to address any uncertainties.
He noted that it would have been a different scenario if Anambra had workers on Grade Level 1, which was not the case in the state.
He mentioned that the governor had established another committee to address the wage increase for workers, with representatives from the NLC, TUC, NULGE, and government officials, including the state’s accountant general.
‘Kogi Not in Debt’
The Kogi State NLC Chairman, Gabriel Amari, refuted the claim that Kogi was among the states not paying the N30,000 minimum wage, stating that the state had been paying the minimum wage to workers on levels one to six since 2022 after extensive negotiations with the state government.
Likewise, the Sokoto State Government dismissed media reports that it had not been paying the N30,000 minimum wage to workers in the state civil service.
The Commissioner for Information, Sambo Danchadi, clarified that the minimum wage had been paid to state civil service workers. He emphasized the governor’s commitment to prioritizing the welfare of workers since taking office.
The state Secretary of the NLC, Hamisu Hussain, added, “We are currently in discussions with the state government regarding the payment of the minimum wage for local government officials in the state.
“State workers have been benefiting, but local government workers have not been included,” he explained.
