NLC, TUC issue ultimatum over minimum wage, electricity tariff as Osifo says increasing civil servants minimum wage won’t worsen inflation

Organised labour in Nigeria says it can not guarantee industrial harmony if by the end of May, 2024, a new minimum wage is not in place.

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress also gave the federal government seven days to reverse the recent increase in electricity tariff.

Since 1980 when Nigeria joined other nations of the world to commemorate May 1st as Workers Day, every year, Nigerian workers use the opportunity of the celebration to speak on their challenges and success stories.

The removal of fuel subsidy, the quest for a new minimum wage and the recent increase in electricity tariffs are some of the issues that have pitched organised labour against the Tinubu administration represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

But government insists it is a tough decision that must be taken for a better future for the country and its people.

Organised labour conveyed workers dissatisfaction over the increasing economic hardship and worried by the fact that a new minimum wage is yet to be decided after many months of agitation and consequently issued a deadline.

But the government says it is not oblivious of the challenges the nation faces and promises to continue to prioritize citizens’ welfare

Meanwhile, Festus Osifo, the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Wednesday, said increasing the minimum wage for civil servants will not worsen inflation.

He stated this while speaking on Channels Television programme ‘Morning Brief’.

The federal government had on April 30 approved an increase of between 25 percent and 35 percent salary for civil servants on the six consolidated salary structures after it had set up a 37-member tripartite committee on the minimum wage in January.

Recall Labour union had requested N615,000 as the new minimum wage for workers and also call on the federal government to make a formal declaration on the new minimum wage on May 1st.

While speaking, Osife disclosed that there is a justified reason for an increase in the minimum wage given increased revenue allocation to states since May 2023.

“If you look today, from May 2023 to date, revenue from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) to the state governments has tripled.

“This means the state government has more money to build roads and schools to purchase other items.

“The most critical aspect of production is labour. It is for you to take part of the money and pay workers. That won’t increase inflation because the money will be spent anyway; if you don’t give it to workers, it will be spent on other projects.

“Giving workers what is due them won’t necessarily worsen inflation,” he said.