The unions at the 2016 May Day anniversary reechoed their proposal for N56,000 minimum wage for workers. They argued that N18, 000 was no longer realistic as the minimum wage going by the prevailing economic realities.
The green light came on Monday with the inauguration of a 30-member committee by President Muhammadu Buhari to review the minimum wage.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, in March 2011, signed the N18, 000 New Minimum Wage Act into Law after a legendary struggle by the unions for a living wage for their members.
The N18, 000 minimum wage was a review from N7, 000. Its historic signing came after more than three years of agitations, prolonged negotiations and threats of strikes by the organised labour.
With the inauguration of the minimum wage committee by the President, the workers are back on a familiar turf – a new round of negotiations to determine a national minimum wage.
Although the workers are optimistic of a pay rise, the instability in the economy is a source of concern. But, whether the government will accede to the labour’s demand or not, is something that will be determined in the weeks ahead.
The agitated workers’ unions have called on the national wage review panel to consider their plight and pensioners’ during its deliberations.
The leaders, who are members of the committee, spoke with The Nation. According to them, what the Nigerian worker needs now, is a living wage and not minimum wage, saying that the inauguration of the committee was long overdue and that efforts should be made to fast track its deliberations for workers and retirees to get their accrued benefits.
They promised to discuss the workers’ proposal with an open mind for the desired result.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba envisaged social dialogue and collective bargaining discussion at the meetings of the tripartite committee.
He told The Nation that labour would put its cards on the table for all the parties to discuss in line with the prevailing value of the local currency.
Wabba said the prevailing exchange rate of the Naira has rendered the N56, 000 proposal as inadequate.minimum wage.
Commending the President, Wabba described the panel’s inauguration as timely.
He said: “This is something that workers have long anticipated and our expectation is that we want a speedy process and that the fact that the issues are very obvious.
“If you look at the exchange rate, N18, 000 minimum wage of 2011 when we signed the agreement was almost equivalent to N110 dollars, but today, N18, 000 is less than 46 dollars.
“So, this is the reality and with the purchasing power of the ordinary Nigerian worker, the high cost of transaction, our expectation is that the committee should look at the conditions of the workers and pensioners.’’
He described as unacceptable the payment of N4, 000 as pension to some retirees, urging an immediate review.
The NLC president argued that such review was imperative to address the issues of social imbalance and inequality in the country.
He said: “As you are aware, there is lack of employment in the country, therefore, workers have a lot of burden like taking care of their children and other dependents. So, there is no worker today who does not cater for dependants.
“Therefore, our expectation is that the process must be driven with commitment and above all, they should take into consideration, the condition of workers and pensioners.”
The General Secretary, Textile Workers Union and a member of NLC, Issa Aremu, lauded the inauguration, saying “it is better late than never.”
He, however, said that labour will be expecting the committee to come out with their reports within six months.
Aremu said: “The five-year cycle of the current Minimum Wage Act, legally backing the subsisting negotiated minimum wage of N18, 000 signed by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 was due for negotiation in 2015 – two years ago.
“The historic inauguration once again demonstrates the globally-acknowledged concern of President Muhammadu Buhari to the welfare of the workers and citizens in general as contained in the 1999 Constitution.
“History will record it that at a time some state governors unacceptably defaulted in paying workers as at when due, the President commendably wondered aloud to ask how these governors go to bed when for whatever reasons, their workforce have not been paid.
“President Buhari has also demonstrated his fatherly concern through serial bailouts of the defaulting states. Nigerian workers are grateful to him for the presidential sensitivity and direct prompt actions on workers’ pay. We also formally thank all progressive governors who pay their workers before their monthly sweat dry”.
Aremu reminded the three tiers of government that they are not just employers of labour, but also enforcers of labour laws and must therefore take responsibility to ensure minimum standards with respect to decent wages for workers in the public and private sectors.
He noted that the presidential committee is rich with experienced stakeholders.
“It is also inclusive of all labour market operators. Under the able chairmanship of Mrs. Amma Pepple – a former Head of Service, the expectations are very high that the negotiation will be fair and just to the workers and national economy in line with the President’s inaugural speech,” he said.
Aremu said that with the high inflation and Naira devaluation due to fallen crude oil prices, the value of the current minimum wages and pension had been eroded.
