The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has indicated that the new minimum wage in the country may be negotiated to be as high as N100,000 or N200,000 due to the escalating cost of living.
This comes in the wake of discussions surrounding the impact of the removal of fuel subsidies, which had prompted the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to plan a strike.
However, the strike was put on hold following a meeting with government officials in Abuja.
NLC President Joe Ajaero clarified that the decision to postpone the strike was intended to provide the government with the time needed to fulfill its obligations as agreed upon with organized labor.
He emphasized that the N35,000 wage award, one of the government’s proposals, is not a replacement for the minimum wage but rather an additional wage.
Ajaero explained on Channels Television’s Politics Today, “So, it is not a minimum wage but it is a wage added to the minimum wage. So, should we in March, April, or before that time negotiate the new wage to be N100,000 or N200,000, it would be inscribed as minimum wage law which should be the law in existence.”
The NLC president stressed that the N35,000 wage award is not meant to be an increment to the existing minimum wage of N30,000.
When discussing a potential new minimum wage, various factors, including inflation and the cost of living, would be taken into account.
Ajaero emphasized that the goal is not to demand an unrealistic figure like N65,000, as this would still fall short of what is considered a true minimum wage.
For a new minimum wage to become effective, it would need to go through the legislative process in the National Assembly.
Ajaero underlined, “The minimum wage is a product of law. Until it is legislated in the National Assembly, it is not a minimum wage.”