Breaking News: NLC Declines Tinubu’s Proposed 35% Salary Rise, Calls for N615,000 Living Wage.
The National President of the National Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has criticized the federal government’s 35% salary increase for civil servants as misleading, emphasizing that the minimum wage should not be less than N615,000.
Ajaero, speaking in an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday, insisted that the government should provide workers with a “living wage.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved a salary increase ranging from 25% to 35% for civil servants across six consolidated salary structures, including CONPSS, CONRAISS, CONPOSS, CONPASS, CONICCS, and CONAFSS.
Reacting to this development, Ajaero stressed that a living wage
Reacting to this development, Ajaero stressed that a living wage should be sufficient to sustain workers throughout the month without resorting to borrowing or suffering from malnutrition. He highlighted that the President had pledged to implement a living wage, which was also supported by legislation from the National Assembly.
However, Ajaero noted that the government has yet to reconvene a meeting with organized labor after they submitted a report recommending a N615,000 living wage. He expressed concern over the timing of the announcement of the salary increase, stating that discussions on the matter should have been concluded by now, considering the expiration of the previous minimum wage.
Ajaero further outlined the breakdown of the proposed living wage, covering expenses such as accommodation, electricity, utilities, transportation, food, healthcare, education, and other essentials. He urged thorough examination of these expenses to understand the necessity of the proposed amount.
