On Monday, the federal government announced plans to raise the minimum wage by N30,000 in response to the global inflationary crisis.
According to Within Nigeria, Dr Chris Ngige, Secretary of State for Labor and Employment, made the announcement at the Nigerian Labor Congress’s public presentation on “Contemporary History of Working Class Struggle” in Abuja.
He claimed that adaptation has become crucial in reflecting what is happening around the world.
He said: “Inflation is worldwide, we will adjust the minimum wage to what is happening now.
The Minimum Wage Act 2019 includes a new review clause.
The adjustment has started with the University Academic Staff Union as the phase they are in at their main employer, the Department of Education, is collective bargaining.
“Under the principles of offer and acceptance, which is collective bargaining, ASUU can consider the offer they gave us and make a counter offer, but they didn’t do that.
If they do, we need to look at what they’re offering. These are the ingredients for collective bargaining.”
He added, “If you don’t work, you won’t eat,” adding that work brings wealth to every nation and prosperity to every family.
However, he advised leaders of affiliated unions of the Nigeria Labor Congress to familiarize themselves with labor laws.
Plans are underway to transform the Michael Imoudu Institute for Labor Studies in Ilorin, Kwara State into a degree-granting institute, he added.
He said that the current minimum wage of N30,000 in the current economic situation would not pay workers’ transportation costs to work for a month in the current economic reality.
Also speaking was the President of the Trade Unions Congress, Festus Osifo, who said that the sole aim of the labor movement in the country was to protect workers’ interests.
If it weren’t for the struggle of the movement’s founding fathers in the country, history would have been different today, he said.
