Nigerian Labour Congress President Ajaero Calls for New Minimum Wage of $200
The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has called for a new minimum wage of $200 per month for the least paid worker in Nigeria. He made the call in an interview with Vanguard on Monday, October 8, 2023.
“The least paid worker in Nigeria should get a minimum of two hundred dollars. It’s not even up to ten dollars a day. I am not talking of ten dollars per hour, it’s not up to ten dollars a day. So, if you even put it at seven dollars a day, that was at the international…”
Ajaero went on to say that the current minimum wage of N30,000 is no longer enough to sustain a worker and his family in light of the rising cost of living. He said that a worker needs to earn at least N200,000 per month to be able to meet his basic needs, such as food, shelter, transportation, and education for his children.
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The NLC has been calling for a new minimum wage for several months now. In July 2023, the union organized a nationwide protest to demand a new minimum wage of N100,000 per month. However, the government refused to meet the union’s demands.
The NLC’s call for a new minimum wage is supported by many Nigerians. A recent poll by the NOIPolls found that 75% of Nigerians believe that the minimum wage should be increased. The poll also found that 58% of Nigerians believe that the minimum wage should be at least N200,000 per month.
The Nigerian government has not yet responded to Ajaero’s call for a new minimum wage. However, the government has said that it is committed to improving the lives of workers. In September 2023, the government announced a new social security program that will provide financial assistance to low-income workers and their families.
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It remains to be seen whether the Nigerian government will agree to increase the minimum wage to $200 per month. However, Ajaero’s call for a new minimum wage is a sign of the growing frustration among Nigerian workers with the rising cost of living and their declining standard of living.
Source: Tribune Newspaper
