By Ade Ayodele
Organized Labour has urged President Bola Tinubu to approve their request for a N250,000 minimum wage to address the nation’s inflationary challenges.
Prince Adewale Adeyanju, president-general of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and a member of the organized labour negotiation team in the Tripartite Committee for the New National Minimum Wage, criticized state governors for hindering efforts to achieve a fair wage for government employees.
Adeyanju stated, “If you are an employer and do not care for your workers, how can you call yourself an employer? We face issues with OPS and state governors who claim they cannot afford to pay N30,000, let alone the amount labour demands.
“At the negotiating table, there was resistance moving from N30,000 to N48,000 and N60,000, treating wages like market goods. Eventually, they proposed N62,000. Despite this, Organized Labour lowered its demand to foster agreement. The harsh economic conditions have left workers discontented.
“At the conclusion of negotiations, the government and OPS recommended N62,000, while Labour, including TUC and NLC, proposed N250,000. Now, it’s up to the President to show empathy to workers. This minimum wage is reviewed every five years, and its impact on workers’ lives must be considered.
“We appeal to him as a friend of workers, who promised to provide a living wage, to approve the N250,000. There’s no reason he can’t approve it, though we heard he would only approve what the economy can support.
“As organized labour, we understand the economy can meet our demands. We plead with him not to heed greedy governors who prefer to pay slave wages while maintaining extravagant lifestyles. The security votes they receive are sufficient to cover the minimum wage. What security are they providing with those funds? Some governors, like in Edo State, are already paying N70,000.”