The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has clarified that it has not endorsed the proposed N500,000 minimum wage, emphasizing that it is yet to determine an official position on the matter.
In an interview with newsmen in Yola, Adamawa State, the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, explained that the figures of N500,000 and N700,000 circulating as potential new minimum wages are not endorsed by the NLC. He highlighted that these figures are being collated at the state level, with varying proposals emerging from different regions.
Ajaero stated that the NLC secretariat has not made any formal presentation regarding the minimum wage issue. He emphasized the importance of considering the cost of living in different states, suggesting that the minimum wage should be relative to the prevailing economic conditions in each region.
He said, “The N500,000, N700,000 you are hearing are being collated at the level of the states. In Lagos and other places, I think they are about N700,000 while in other places they are talking about N500,000 which are inputs collated from geopolitical zones.”
“But the NLC secretariat has not made any presentation, these minimum figures are what is coming from the states. When we collate them then we’ll do a central presentation based on the raw materials we are getting from states.”
“It (minimum wage) has to be relative to the cost of living in those states. You will agree with me that rent here is not as that in Abuja, and not the same thing as in Lagos. So relatively speaking you won’t have a straitjacket-like presentation by Labour in all the states.”
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