The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), FCT chapter, has proposed N709,000 as a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
The NLC FCT Chairman, Dr Stephen Knabayi, made the submission at the North Central Zonal Public Hearing organised by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage on Thursday in Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu, through Vice-President Kashim Shettima, had on Jan. 30 inaugurated a 37-member panel on the new minimum wage in Abuja
The committee scheduled March 7 for public hearing in all the six geo-political zones in the country.
In the North Central zone, no fewer than 15 organisations met and presented their submissions to the council.
Knabayi, while making the submission, said the Congress took cognisance of the present economic conditions in the country in arriving at the figure.
According to him, the sum proposed will help cushion the effects of the economic challenges and ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.
“We have a common position. This position considers the current economic plight in the country.
“We have the submission that N709,000 per month should be the minimum wage for the workers in the country.
“We believe that Nigeria has what it takes, the leadership should commit themselves to getting this money paid and for us to have better treatment for the working people of Nigeria,” he said.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), FCT chapter, making its submission at the public hearing, proposed N447,000 as the new minimum wage.
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the TUC chapter represented by Mr Amaege Chukwudi said: “This will give Nigerian workers a minimum level of comfort and enable them to cope with the current level of economic hardship, which has turned the majority of them to beggars.
“So, for us in the FCT, we expect the minimum wage to run across the three tiers of government,” he said.
Chukwudi appealed for policy reform that would engender a massive food supply in the country.
He urged the Federal Government to provide buses to ease movement of workers, fix refineries, and ensure a stable electricity supply, among other recommendations.
Also speaking, the Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria, Prof. Mohammad Mohammed, said the minimum wage for workers should be N440,333.33.
The professor also appealed that a consequential adjustment should be included in the approved minimum wage for workers.
Representatives of the Forum of Retired Directors of Federal Civil Service proposed a N70,000 minimum wage for workers at the hearing.
They also appealed for a review of pension allowance as stipulated in Nigerian law.
Meanwhile, the Federal Civil Service of Pensioners of Nigeria has demanded that 85 per cent of the minimum wage that would be approved should be assigned to them.
The National Chairman of the Association, Sunday Omezi, said at the hearing that the money would enable them to take care of themselves and their health challenges.
The chairman, however, expressed displeasure that pensioners were not included in the tripartite committee.
Speaking, Chairman of the Zonal Committee, Mr Festus Osifo, said the committee would make recommendations for effective and full implementation of the new minimum wage, once approved and signed into law.
“We will try to put in place very strong sanction and punitive measures to ensure that once passed into law, it is implemented across the states”, he said.
The hearing was well attended by government representatives and stakeholders, both from the public and private sectors.
NAN
