The federal government has said that plans are underway to increase the N30,000 minimum wage in the light of inflation ravaging the country’s economy.
The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, made this known at the public presentation of the National Labour Congress (NLC) titled, ‘Contemporary history of working-class struggles’ held in Abuja on Monday, September 19.
The N30,000 minimum wage was initiated in 2019, however, after three years, some states are yet to implement it.
Ngige said that the federal government was aware that the N30,000 national minimum wage had depreciated.
He, therefore, said that the federal government will look into adjusting the wages, according to The Punch.
The ministers of labour and employment said that, “The inflation has increased worldwide and it is not confined to Nigeria, that is why in many jurisdictions, there is an adjustment of wages right now.
“The federal government will adjust the wages in conformity with what is happening in the economy.
“More importantly, the 2019 national minimum wage act, right now has a clause for the review, which we started then, I do not know whether it is due next year or 2024.
“But before then, the adjustment of wages will reflect what is happening in the economy, just as the federal government has started the adjustment with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),” he added.
Festus Osifo, president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), while speaking after the presentation on Monday, said that the workers have been dominated and oppressed by the ruling class.
Osifo also noted that the N30,000 minimum wage was no longer feasible in the current economic circumstances, adding that workers’ transportation fare to work for a month is in excess of their take home pay.
“The value of the N30,000 minimum wage has been eroded. It is not even enough to transport workers to work on a monthly basis again,” Osifo said.
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