Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra says the N30,000 national minimum wage for Nigerian workers is insufficient to sustain the average worker and his family.
Mr Soludo stated this while addressing the state workers during the 2023 May Day celebration held at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, on Monday.
“Paying N30,000 national minimum wage to Nigerian workers is subjecting them to living in denial.
“I say this because the amount cannot afford a bag of 50kg rice, let alone other domestic problems staring families in the face on a daily basis,” he said.
The governor, who was responding to the litany of challenges reeled out by the chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, said he recently raised workers’ salaries by 10 per cent to cushion the effects of inflation on workers.
He said that as an expert in economics, he was aware of inflation in the economy, which had caused workers to be in serious pain given what they earned as salaries.
Mr Soludo used the medium to direct the state workers to end the Monday sit-at-home, which he noted was becoming cheating on the government.
“In more than a year now, workers in Anambra and other states in the South-East no longer work on Mondays, and this has made it for them to work for 70/80 per cent monthly while they receive their monies 100 per cent.
“This can no longer continue because it is like it has become a convenient excuse, and we must get our state back on track,” he said.
Mr Soludo said under his watch, any worker who retires must get their retirement benefits.
He also assured that he would continue to pay monthly salaries and other projects.
The governor told the labour leaders that the option available for him to implement the enhanced wages being clamoured for was for the government to reduce the workforce by half.
Mr Soludo, who commended the state workers for their commitment, appealed to them to do more as he will ensure that they get better welfare once the state revenue increases.
Earlier, Humphrey Nwafor and Chris Ogbonna, both NLC and TUC state chairmen, respectively, had in their separate addresses listed challenges facing workers in the state.
They maintained that wages received by Anambra workers could not feed them and their families while appealing that those due for promotions should be promoted.
(NAN)