Minimum Wage: Stop Bandying Figures Around, TUC Cautions Bayo Onanuga

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, (TUC) has
revealed that the tripartite committee set up by the government is yet to come up with an offer for the minimum wage negotiation.

This disclosure came amidst the announcement made by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Mr. Bayo Onanuga on Monday, February 12, 2024.

Onanuga had said it will be difficult for the government to peg and pay public servants the proposed new minimum wage of N100,000.

A communique signed by the TUC Secretary General Comrade Nuhu Toro said the N100,000 minimum wage was a disconnect from the realities faced by millions of hardworking individuals striving to make ends meet.

He said, “The remarks made by the aide are not only insensitive but also speculative statements that undermine the fundamental principles of fair compensation and perpetuate the cycle of economic inequality.

“President Tinubu’s government owes workers a duty to advocate for policies that promote decent wages and ensure a reasonable standard of living for all citizens, in line with global best practices.
 
“The federal and state governments, employers and labour, are in the preliminary stages of negotiations for the new national minimum wage in the country under the constitution. 

“No proposals have been made by any of the negotiating partners including the presidency; no offer has been made, and none has been negotiated.

“So, the president’s spokesman in bandying around figures is merely being mischievous. This may well be a strategy to throw a spanner in the works of the negotiating body”.

Toro added that Onanugu’s claims will no doubt serve to sow the seed of discord and undermine trust in the government.

Toro said if the Presidency has a figure or figures it wants to propose, it should do so through the minimum wage negotiating committee, and social dialogue, determined by the cost-of-living index.
 
TUC further urged Nigerians to support the democratic process of arriving at a living wage and ignore the tantrums and distractions of people who think governance is all about propaganda, not sincerely serving the people.