NLC rejects FG’s 35% pay increase, demands N615,000 living wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the salary increase of between 25 per cent and 35 per cent for civil servants by the Federal Government.

The NLC said the living wage for civil servants should be N615,000, noting that the Organised Labour has agreed on the amount.

The Federal Government had, on Tuesday, April 30, announced the salary increase for workers, saying the increment took effect from January 1, 2024.

Speaking on the development in an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, NLC President Joe Ajaero said: “The announcement appears mischievous because there is no wage increment 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.”

He added that the last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on April 18.

The NLC boss said: “We should be in the regime of new minimum wage as of today. Discussions were supposed to have been concluded.

FG approves 25%, 35% salary increment for civil servants 

“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.

On the living wage for civil servants, Ajaero 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 petrol 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.”

The Star