The Labour Party has urged President Bola Tinubu to fulfill his promise to Nigerian workers by implementing a living wage.
Dr. Ayo Olorunfemi, the party’s Deputy National Chairman, made the appeal in a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
Dr. Olorunfemi emphasized the need for President Tinubu to demonstrate his concern for workers by establishing a minimum wage that reflects the current economic conditions in the country.
He stressed that this would show the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of Nigerian workers.
The Labour Party’s appeal comes as workers continue to face challenges due to the rising cost of living and economic uncertainty.
The party’s call for a living wage is seen as a crucial step towards addressing these issues and ensuring a decent standard of living for Nigerian workers.
“The N48,000; N54,000 and even the N57,000 minimum wage being proposed by the Federal Government cannot alleviate the sufferings of Nigerian workers.
“What percentage do we want to call that in the light of the current economic challenges and inflation?
“I think the President needs to come out clear and show workers that he cares about their well-being
“In fact, Nigerian workers need living wage not the figures being offered. The President must fulfill his promised living wage to labour,” Olorunfemi said.
Olorunfemi,a former General Secretary, Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government-Owned Companies (SASGOC), also urged government to provide palliatives, including free transportation for workers, to cushion the effects of economic hardship .
Recall that the Organised Labour had recently walked out on the Tripartite Committee on New Minimum Wage, when the Federal Government proposed N48,000 as new wage for workers in the country.
The Organised Labour again rejected the offer of N54,000 and N57,000 minimum wage offered by the government during the resumed national minimum wage negotiation.
The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, had insisted on N615,000 as minimum wage, but later brought it down to N497,000.
Ajaero said that the amount was arrived at, after an analysis of the current economic situation and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.
