- The TUC president said that at the meeting, the labour unions proposed a N615,000 minimum wage which they gave a breakdown of how it was arrived at.
- He said that the government on its part presented N48,000 with no breakdown of how it can cater for the needs of the Nigerian workers.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed new minimum wage of N48,000, calling it “abysmal” and “ridiculous.”
Festus Osifo, TUC President, criticised the government’s proposal in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
Osifo pointed out that the least federal workers are already earning up to N77,000, making the proposed N48,000 “not make any sense”.
He challenged the Federal Government to provide data to back up their proposal and convince union members that it reflects the reality of the average Nigerian worker.
He said, “Before President Muhammadu Buhari left office, the last person in the federal ministry was actually earning N42,000.
“If you now factor in the wage award of N35,000 that was given, N42,000 plus N35,000 will give us N77,000, so as of today what the least federal government worker earns is N77,000.
“So, the question that we now ask is that if the least federal government worker is earning N77,000, why are you now coming to present N48,000? It does not just make any sense,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, labour unions walked out of the ongoing minimum wage negotiations with the government and the Organised Private Sector over the government’s “ridiculous” offer.
The TUC had proposed a minimum wage of N615,000, which they broke down and explained how it was arrived at.
However, the government presented N48,000 without providing any breakdown or justification.
Osifo accused the government of being unprepared and unserious in the negotiations, which is why the union leaders walked out of the meeting.
The union members still insist that all conversations around a new national minimum wage must be concluded by the end of May.