The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have called on the Federal Government to provide civil servants with reasonable wages as a means to combat corruption within the Nigerian workforce.
These concerns were raised during the National Policy Dialogue on Living Wages and Corruption in Nigeria, organized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, and Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies at ICPC’s headquarters in Abuja.
Comrade (Engr) Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress, represented by Dr. Tommy Etim, the First Deputy President of TUC, expressed strong condemnation of the attack on NLC’s President, Joe Ajaero, referring to it as a “crime against humanity.”
Osifo highlighted his disappointment with the government’s response and called for officials to publicly condemn such acts.
He emphasized the need for the federal government to provide fair wages for workers, ensuring their basic needs are met, which will drive productivity in the country.
Etim explained that as negotiations for the national minimum wage are underway, the policy dialogue has set a foundation for discussions.
He stressed that a living wage should consider areas such as health, education, transportation, and housing to be truly effective.
Inadequate wages are a major factor contributing to corruption in Nigeria, and it is the right of all civil servants to earn decent wages.
A decent wage is pivotal for productivity, human capital development, and achieving good governance, aligning with the realities of daily life, including education, housing, and health services.