NLC, TUC propose N56,000 as new minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have jointly proposed N56,000 as the new minimum wage to the Federal Government as against the present N18,000.

The NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, said this at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Wabba said both the NLC and the TUC made the formal demand on the proposed national minimum wage to the Federal Government on Tuesday.

“I can say now authoritatively that as of yesterday (Tuesday) we made a formal proposal to the Federal Government of N56,000 to be the new minimum wage.

“The demand has been submitted officially to government and we hope that the tripartite system to look at the review will actually be set up to look at it.

“Our argument is that, yes, it is true that the economy is not doing well, but the law stated that wages for workers must be review after every five years.

“So, the issue must be looked into by the Federal Government and workers shouldnot be seen as sleeping on their rights,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the NLC president as saying at the forum.

Wabba recalled that the last review of the national minimum wage was done in 2011, saying the setting up of a tripartite committee to review the newly proposednational minimum wage was long overdue.

He said it was imperative that government should set up the tripartite committee for the review of the new minimum wage.