May Day: We won’t accept FG’s 35% pay rise, living wage should be N615k – NLC, Ajaero

Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), called the federal government public servants’ 35% pay increase “mischievous” and claimed that the living wage should be N615, 000.

This was said by Ajaero on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television.

Recall that on Tuesday, the federal cabinet authorised a pay increase for civil officials in various consolidated compensation structures ranging from 25 to 35 percent.

According to Ajaero, the previous N30,000 minimum salary ended on April 18.

“As of today, we ought to be operating under a new minimum wage regime,” he declared. The discussions were expected to be over.

“The federal government through the national assembly legislated on it. But we saw that the discussion entered voice mail because the federal government refused to reconvene the meeting that was adjourned.

“I think the announcement now appears mischievous because there is no wage increase that government is announcing. For them to announce it now, it is an issue that we are worried about at the NLC and even at the TUC.”

Ajaero said the organised labour has agreed on N615,000 as the living wage for civil servants.

The NLC leader said, “Living wage is such that will, at least keep you alive. It is not a wage that will make you poor and poorer. It is not a wage that will make you borrow to go to work. It is not a wage that will lead you to be in the hospital everyday because of malnutrition. For that living wage, we have tried to look at N615,000.

“Let me give you a breakdown of how we arrived at that figure. We have housing and accommodation of N40,000. We asked for electricity of N20,000 — of course that was before the current tariff increase. Nobody can spend this amount currently. We have utility that is about N10,000. We looked at kerosene and gas that is about N25,000 to N35,000.

“We looked at food for a family of six, that is about N9,000 in a day. For 30 days, that is about N270,000. Look at medical, N50,000 provided there will be no surgery or whatever.

“For clothing, we looked at N20,000. For education, N50,000. I don’t know for those who tried to put their children in private school, they will not be able to cope with this amount. We also have sanitation of N10,000.

“I think where we have another bulk of the money is transportation. This is because the workers stay in the fringes and because of the cost of PMS, that amounted to N110,000.

“That brought the whole living wage to N615,000 and I want anyone to subject this to further investigation and find out whether there will be any savings when you pay somebody on this rate.”