By Habeeb Ibrahim
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and other labour leaders have maintained their demand for a N500,000 minimum wage, despite the Federal Government’s plan to provide workers with N70,000 monthly transport support for six months.
The position comes amid rising transportation costs, inflation and concerns over the declining purchasing power of Nigerian workers.
The National Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Gbenga Olowoyo, said labour remained committed to the N500,000 minimum wage proposal but was open to reasonable negotiations with the Federal Government.
Speaking on Arise News after a meeting between organised labour and the government that lasted more than six hours, Olowoyo welcomed the agreement to provide N70,000 monthly transport support to workers beginning in November.
He, however, stressed that the temporary intervention had not replaced labour’s demand for a higher minimum wage.
“The template of N500,000 is still subsisting. At the same time, if government is able to dance around N500,000, we would be alright to support the President. So, we are not going to be rigid, but reasonable,” he said.
The Federal Government’s transport support is expected to run for six months as part of efforts to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices on workers.
However, the Trade Union Congress has rejected the intervention as an inadequate response to the worsening cost of living, arguing that workers need an immediate salary increase rather than temporary financial assistance.
In a statement signed by its President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, the TUC urged the Federal Government to increase salaries without waiting for another minimum wage negotiation.
The congress also proposed raising the salaries of the lowest-paid federal workers to N300,000, with consequential adjustments for other salary levels.
It argued that the statutory minimum wage was a wage floor rather than a ceiling, meaning the government could increase workers’ earnings beyond the existing N70,000 minimum wage.
The TUC further questioned the government’s ability to secure workers’ confidence while outstanding obligations under the 2023 wage award agreement remained unfulfilled.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, has called for immediate negotiations on a new minimum wage, saying discussions should begin early enough to meet the next review timeline in April.
The 2024 National Minimum Wage Act increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 and reduced the review cycle from five years to three years.
Separately, an assessment by ActionAid Nigeria and the NLC found that compliance with the N70,000 minimum wage stood at 67 per cent at the state level and 48 per cent at the local government level.
The organisations also called for negotiations on a new minimum wage and minimum pension, citing persistent inflation and the erosion of workers’ purchasing power.
The competing positions have placed the proposed N500,000 minimum wage back at the centre of discussions on workers’ welfare, with labour leaders insisting that temporary transport support cannot replace a lasting improvement in salaries.
