President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday, described the salary increment approved by the Federal Government as mischievous.

Ajaero said that organized labour should agree on N615,000 as the living wage for civil servants in Nigeria.

The Federal Government had approved salary increments of 25 percent and 35 percent for the remaining six consolidated salary structures.

However, Ajaero said the last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on April 18.

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

“Living wage is such that will, at least keep you alive. It is not a wage that will make you poorer 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 every day 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 a utility that is about N10,000. We looked at kerosene and gas which 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 those who tried to put their children in private school if 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 on the fringes and because of the cost of PMS, which amounted to N110,000.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has said his administration has commenced the implementation of the N500 Million Revolving Loan Scheme for workers in the state.

He made this announcement on Wednesday at the occasion of the Workers’ Day held at Murtala Muhammad Square in Kaduna.

This was stated as he mentioned that other economic empowerment initiatives would soon be unveiled for workers in Kaduna State, asserting, “We are attracting investments to create job opportunities for our citizens.”

He also expressed, “We are training and retraining workers to put them in a good position to contribute effectively to the economic development of our dear state.”

To this end, he commended the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) under the leadership of Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman for their commitment to social dialogue and their willingness to engage in constructive negotiations.

“Mr. Comrade Chairperson, your maturity and sense of responsibility have helped us navigate challenging times and find mutually beneficial solutions.

“I also commend my Special Adviser on Labour Matters, Comrade Adamu Samaila, for his tireless efforts and dedication to the welfare of workers. His advocacy for better working conditions, fair compensation, and social justice has been a beacon of hope for many in the Kaduna State workforce, fostering a good relationship between labor and government.

The governor added that “Government under my leadership will continue to prioritize workers’ welfare and equip them appropriately within available resources, conscious of the fact that a committed and motivated workforce is critical to the achievement of our Rural Transformation Agenda.

“Human capital development and poverty reduction will continue to receive robust government attention through investment in education, health, agriculture, housing, micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as support to security agencies as they tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other related crimes.

Earlier, the chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kaduna chapter, Comrade Ayuba Magaji called on the federal government to address the issue of minimum wage with a human face.

“It is our plea to the Federal Government to ensure that whatever the proposal may be, it should not just be a minimum wage but a living wage; a wage that would be meaningful and motivating.

” Also, we must acknowledge the fact that the last administration in Kaduna State set a precedence by being the first State government in the country to implement the “outgoing” minimum wage. Thus, we are appealing to His Excellency to blaze the trail by being the first to implement the new minimum wage, when signed into law.

In the same vein, I wish to appeal to His Excellency to add his voice to the plights of workers in the private sector. Our comrades in the private sector are being blatantly exploited by their employers; they are subjected to undue hours of work, unsafe working conditions, wages below the national minimum wage, and various forms of dehumanizing practices and conditions.

“For us as a labor center, we have been doing the best we can, but we believe that a directive from our comrade governor will go a long way in helping to address these unfortunate practices by some despotic employers in the private sector.

The Federal government has assured workers that the new minimum wage will take effect from today, May 1, 2024, despite ongoing negotiations within the tripartite committee on national minimum wage.

Addressing Nigerian workers during the May Day celebration in Abuja, Minister of State Labour Nkeiruka Onyejeocha emphasised that although the conclusion of the negotiations is pending, efforts are underway to expedite the process and ensure the timely release of the new minimum wage.

Expressing regret over the delay in finalising the new national minimum wage, Onyejeocha reassured workers that comprehensive consultations are ongoing to facilitate the prompt formulation of the required document.