NLC chairman Ajaero and Tinubu
The National President of the National Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has described the federal government increase of civil servants by 35% as mischievous, insisting that the minimum wage should not be below N615,000.
Ajaero who made this statement in an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday, said the federal government should pay workers a “living wage.”
Recall that Pesident Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved an increase of between 25% and 35% in salary increase for civil servants on the remaining six consolidated salary structures.
The six salary structures are; the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure (CONICCS) and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS).
Reacting to the development on Wednesday, Ajaero said a living wage is such that at least keep the workers alive for the month, without resorting to borrowing and malnutrition.
He said the President promised to pay a living wage, and it was legislated upon by the National Assembly.
However, he said the government is yet to reconvene a meeting with the organized labour after they submitted a report of N615,000 to the government as the amount for living wage.
“The announcement now appears mischievous because there is no wage increase that government is announcing. For them to announce it now, it is an issue that we are worried about at the NLC and even at the TUC.
“And the last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on the 18th of April. By now, we assume today on the regime of a new minimum wage.
“Discussions were supposed to be concluded. The national assembly legislated on it before now. The discussion entered voicemail because the federal government refused to reconvene the meeting that was adjourned.
“We had public hearing in the six geopolitical zones and we came back to collate the submission. And the committee asked NLC and TUC to do their submission which they did and came up to about N615,000.
“The moment they got that up till this moment, no meeting has taken place.
“Living wage is such a wage that will at least keep you alive. That should be N615,000.”
Speaking further, Ajaero further broke down the proposed living wage to the federal government.
He said this wage will cover things such as utility bill payment, transportation, feeding, hospital, electricity and education, among others.
“We are asking for accommodation of N40,000. We are asking for electricity for N20,000. We look at utility that is about N10,000 and kerosene and gas which is about N25,000 and N30,000.
“We look at food for N9,000 for the family of six, in a day. For thirty days, that’s about N270,000. We look at medical for N50,000 and education N50,000, and sanitization for N10,000.
“Because of subsidy removal and the fact that workers stay in fringes, that amounted to N110,000. That brought the whole thing to N615,000. And I want anybody to subject this to further investigation and find out if there will be any savings after these payments”, Ajaero added.
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