The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Osun Chapter, Mr. Christopher Arapasopo, announced on Saturday that joint labour unions across Nigeria have reached a consensus to enforce the new N70,000 minimum wage in all states. He warned that any state government that fails to comply will face a shutdown by the unions.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo, the state capital, Arapasopo emphasized the unions' determination to ensure that the new minimum wage is uniformly implemented. He stated, “During our NEC meeting, all members agreed to enforce the minimum wage in all states, and any state that fails to pay will be shut down. The governors can’t claim they weren’t present when it was agreed. In fact, they were the ones advocating for N70,000 as the minimum wage.”
The new minimum wage agreement was reached after extensive negotiations between the labour unions and the government. Initially, the unions proposed N250,000, while the government countered with N62,000 before finally settling on N70,000. Arapasopo explained that the unions accepted the lower figure to prevent a hike in fuel pump prices, which would have exacerbated the economic hardships faced by Nigerians.
“We, as labour, suggested N250,000, and they brought it down to N62,000 before settling on N70,000, which we accepted. We have sacrificed a lot of things. So, for any government or governor that fails to pay, we will shut that state down. It is a must for them to pay. It is a no-go area. We are not negotiating that,” Arapasopo insisted.
The NEC meeting, which concluded a few hours before the interview, saw all state representatives adopt the agreed amount based on several considerations. Arapasopo noted, “The President said if we insisted on our demand of N250,000, he would have to increase the fuel price. But as good citizens of Nigeria, we believe the demand should not benefit a particular sector alone. As workers, we should think about other Nigerians and not just ourselves. So, we made the sacrifice to accept the N70,000 to avoid the price of fuel going up.”
Arapasopo pointed out that insisting on the N250,000 minimum wage would have resulted in increased fuel prices and inflation, negatively affecting both workers and the general populace. He described the N70,000 as a fair and balanced solution, ensuring that the minimum salary paid to workers in the lowest cadre is sufficient.
The Osun NLC chapter plans to engage with the state government to discuss allowances and other benefits for workers, but the minimum wage itself stands non-negotiable. Arapasopo explained, “The Osun chapter of the union will meet with the state government to discuss some allowances for workers, but the minimum wage stands non-negotiable.”
The new wage agreement includes consequential adjustments and benefits that will further increase the wage upon implementation, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to worker compensation. Arapasopo stressed the importance of this implementation, as it would not only uplift the standard of living for workers but also contribute to economic stability by avoiding inflationary pressures that would have arisen from higher fuel costs.
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