The Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage has suggested a new lowest pay for workers in the six geopolitical zones.
Led by Ekpo Nta, the committee called for active involvement of stakeholders in the process.
A public hearing was set for March 7, with venues in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, and Abuja.
The chairman invited state and local governments, labor unions, employers, civil society groups, small and medium enterprises, and other stakeholders in the six geopolitical zones to attend.
The chairman urged the stakeholders to submit a memorandum, including the proposed new national lowest pay for workers.
PUNCH Online provides a breakdown of the recommendations from the six zones.
North West lowest pay demand
The Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Kabir Inuwa, presented the proposal on behalf of the North West leadership.
He said the suggested lowest pay of N485,000 is necessary considering the dynamics of the national economy.
The NLC boss noted that the Minimum Wage Act has provided all the protection needed for compliance.
North East lowest pay demand
Labour unions in the North East suggested a monthly national lowest pay of N560,000.
During the North East Zonal Public Hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, both the NLC and Trade Union Congress branches across the six states in the region jointly recommended the amount.
In contrast, the Adamawa and Bauchi State Governments suggested N45,000.
The NLC chairman in Adamawa State, Emmanuel Fashe, presented the joint recommendation, advocating for a biennial review of the lowest pay instead of the current five-year cycle.
The Christian Association of Nigeria in Adamawa State similarly recommended N486,000 per month, considering various family expenditures.
Other groups, including the Nigeria Medical Association and the National Council of Women Societies, aligned with the NLC’s position.
The hearing, chaired by NLC President Joe Ajaero, addressed diverse recommendations, with differing proposed amounts from various groups, including N200,000 by NCWS and N75,000 by the Muslim Council of Nigeria.
North Central lowest pay demand
The NLC chapter in the Federal Capital Territory suggested a revised lowest pay of N709,000.
The FCT Chairman of NLC, Dr Stephen Knabayi, presented the proposal during the North Central Zonal Public Hearing organized by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage in Abuja on Thursday.
In a parallel recommendation, Mr Amaege Chukwudi, the leader of the TUC FCT chapter, proposed a monthly lowest pay of N447,000.
He emphasized the prevailing economic challenges, stressing that many Nigerian workers are now facing dire circumstances akin to begging due to the hardship.
South West lowest pay demand
The NLC demanded N794,000 as the new national lowest pay for workers in the South West geopolitical zone.
The union in the South West, led by the chairperson of the Lagos State NLC, Funmi Sessi, requested this during her presentation at the public hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage in Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday.
South South new minimum wage demand
The South-South chapter of the NLC proposed a new minimum wage of N850,000 for workers nationwide.
The NLC chairperson in Akwa Ibom, Sunny James, declared this during a public hearing on the proposed wage structure held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Tuesday.
The proceedings of the event were broadcast live on Facebook. James expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that certain states within the region have not yet implemented the existing N30,000 minimum wage, which was last updated in 2019.
South East new minimum wage demand
The NLC and the TUC in the South-East region jointly suggested N540,000 and N447,000, respectively, as the new minimum wage.
The proposal was presented by organised labour during the South-East Zonal Hearing organized by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage in Enugu on Thursday.
Representing the NLC in the region, Fabian Nwigbo, the Chairman of the NLC Enugu State Chapter, emphasized that the purchasing power of the 2019 N30,000 minimum wage has been significantly eroded by inflation.
PUNCH Online reported on January 30 that the Federal Government inaugurated the tripartite committee on the national minimum wage.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the 37-member panel at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.
In his opening address, Shettima urged members to “speedily” arrive at a resolution and submit their reports early as the current N30,000 minimum wage expires at the end of March 2024.
