The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has rejected the N48,000 proposed by the Federal Government as the new minimum wage, saying it does not make any sense.
Jerrymusa.com reports that the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, criticized the Federal Government’s proposal during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
Osifo stated that the government was not taking the negotiation with workers seriously. He pointed out that the least federal workers already earn around N77,000, making the proposed N48,000 “abysmal.”
Proposed Wage Falls Bellow Expectation
Osifo explained that before President Muhammadu Buhari left office, the lowest-paid federal worker earned N42,000, which increased to N77,000 with the N35,000 wage award. He questioned why the government was proposing N48,000, which doesn’t reflect the reality of the average Nigerian worker.
Osifo challenged the government to provide data supporting the proposal and convince union members of its validity. Earlier on Wednesday, labor unions walked out of the minimum wage negotiation meeting due to the government’s “ridiculous” offer.
The TUC proposed a N615,000 minimum wage, while the government presented N48,000 without explanation. The union maintains that negotiations must conclude by the end of May, and the government’s failure to provide supporting data shows unpreparedness.