The organized labor movement in Nigeria has taken strong exception to the position of the state governors on the ongoing negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
In a statement on Saturday, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) accused the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) of acting in bad faith. This comes after the NGF rejected the proposed N60,000 ($130 USD) minimum wage, stating that it was too high and unsustainable for many states.
Tommy Etim, the Deputy National President of the TUC, said bluntly: “If you cannot pay minimum wage, please resign because you were voted for governance not for only infrastructure.” He argued that the governors were prioritizing infrastructure over the welfare of workers and the people.
The NLC, in a separate statement, said the governors’ claims about their inability to pay the proposed minimum wage were untrue, pointing to the increase in federal revenue allocations from N700 billion to N1.2 trillion. The labor group accused the governors of high cost of governance and corruption, urging them to prioritize workers’ welfare.
The war of words between the labor unions and the state governors threatens to escalate into an industrial crisis, with the unions warning that they will not accept anything less than the full implementation of the new minimum wage agreement.
As the negotiations continue, the standoff between the two sides has raised concerns about potential disruptions to public service delivery across the country. The federal government has been urged to intervene and broker a amicable resolution to the impasse.