May Day: NLC insists on N615,000 living wage, faults FG’s 35% salary increase for civil servants

In commemorating this year’s Workers’ Day, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has faulted the Federal Government’s pay raise announcement, tagging it as mischievous moves.

On Tuesday, the federal government approved a pay rise of between 25 and 35 per cent for civil servants across various consolidated salary structures.

Ajaero, while speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Ajaero said the last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on April 18.

“We should be in the regime of new minimum wage as of today. Discussions were supposed to have been concluded,” Ajaero said.

“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 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.”

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

“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,” he added.

“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 if those who tried to put their children in private school 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.

“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.”

The Informant247 had earlier reported how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government has approved 25% and 35% salary increases for civil servants on the remaining six Consolidated Salary Structures.

According to a statement signed by the Head of Press, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Emmanuel Njoku, the increases take effect from 1st January 2024.

The federal government has also approved increases in pension between 20% and 28% for pensioners on the Defined Benefits Scheme

The Salary Structure is the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure (CONICCS) and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS).

It was learned that those in the Tertiary Education and Health Sectors had already received their increases, involving Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) for universities.

For Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, it involved the Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure (CONTEDISS).

The Health Sector also benefitted through the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS).

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has advocated for increased workers’ salaries due to inflation.