The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria expressed disapproval about the delay in completing negotiations on a new minimum wage and urged the Federal Government to speed up the process.
Comrade Festus Osifo, the TUC President, stated that negotiations for a new minimum wage may not be completed before the end of May, during a briefing with journalists after the National Executive Council meeting of the labor movement.
TUC also expressed dissatisfaction that some states in the Niger Delta region, which receive significant funds from the federation account, have not paid their workers the wage awards or relief measures. It pointed out Delta, Imo, and Benue states as the main offenders.
Furthermore, TUC noted with dismay that the Federal Government has not paid federal workers the wage award for March and April this year, and called for immediate payment to alleviate economic hardship.
He mentioned, “The NEC discussed the minimum wage issues and emphasized the need for the government to expedite the process, as empowering the working class is crucial for boosting the economy. People need money to make purchases, which in turn inflates the economy.
He added, “If there is no money to purchase these items, if the purchasing power parity is relatively low, what is going to happen? So, we demand that the committee for minimum wage hasten their activities so that a new minimum wage will be put in place. This is the only way that the economy will be re-inflated.”
Comrade Osifo also urged a review of the outdated labor laws in the country, stating, ”for several years, we have been trying to review the labor law. All attempts to get the ninth National Assembly to pass the new labor law did not materialize”
Regarding wage awards, Osifo mentioned, “Then also in the issue of wage award, the NEC in session frowned on the fact that the last wage award that was paid to the federal workers was February 2024 and that of March and April that is just ending has not been paid.
“So we hereby call on the government to immediately, release the payment of wage award for March 2024 and April 2024 and to ensure regular payments moving forward, so that at the end of April, when salary is coming in, the wage award is also paid until the new minimum wage is put in place as agreed in the communique of October 2 of 2023.”
Expressing frustration with the indifferent attitude of some state governors in the payment of wage awards and distribution of relief measures to the workers, TUC said, “There is no gain in saying the fact that today we are facing economic hardship and based on this at the federal level. We engaged the federal government as you are aware, from last year which culminated in the signing of the communique on October 2, 2023.
“And after that communique was signed, we also empowered our respective state councils to follow up with their state government to ensure two things, one, put in place palliative. Palliative is for the immediate. It is not a permanent solution to the economic downturn that we are facing today as a country but palliative could solve immediate challenges.
“That's why we also wanted a lasting and strong solution. A solution that would meet the desires of the Nigerian workers and the Nigerian people, because that's why the governments are elected from the federal to the local government level.
“We gathered reports from different states in the country. And from that report, we could see that some states have been performing well, in terms of paying wage awards and providing palliatives. And in terms of establishing a more strong and substantial solution to solving the issues that we have today as a country.”
The TUC leadership also criticized the Federal Government for increasing electricity tariffs without consulting with stakeholders.
According to Osifo, such decisions are not carried out in advanced countries. He said it is even more worrying that most Nigerians are not metered, and called on the government to cancel implementation in the interest of the masses.
