Joe Ajaero, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, has lambasted the Federal Government’s recent pay rise announcement, labeling it as a mischievous tactic.
The government’s approval on Tuesday of a salary increase ranging from 25 to 35 percent for civil servants drew sharp criticism. Ajaero voiced his discontent on Wednesday during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television program, highlighting that the previous minimum wage of N30,000 had expired on April 18.
“We should have already implemented a new minimum wage by now. Discussions were supposed to be concluded,” Ajaero asserted. “The federal government and the national assembly were meant to finalize it. However, discussions seemed to have stalled because the government failed to reconvene the adjourned meeting.”
Ajaero emphasized that the timing of the announcement seemed suspect, considering the lack of progress in discussions. He also disclosed that organized labor has settled on N615,000 as the living wage for civil servants, aimed at ensuring a decent standard of living.
“The living wage is meant to sustain basic needs without plunging individuals into poverty or debt. We’ve calculated it to be N615,000,” he elaborated, providing a breakdown of the components such as housing, utilities, food, medical expenses, education, clothing, and transportation, which collectively contribute to the proposed living wage.
Ajaero challenged anyone to scrutinize the breakdown, asserting that paying workers this amount would not only meet their basic needs but potentially allow for savings as well.
