In preparation for Workers’ Day in 2024, the Nigerian labor unions have compiled a list of their expectations, including a request that the Federal Government, which is headed by President Bola Tinubu, make an announcement on a new minimum wage on May 1.
During his conversation with members of the media, Tommy Etim, who is the National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress, compared Workers’ Day to the holiday of Christmas for workers.
It was brought to his attention that there were a great deal of expectations, especially in light of the fact that some of the recently implemented policies of the government had continued to force more Nigerians into poverty.
Workers across the nation, according to Etim, were anticipating the implementation of the new minimum wage.
He said, “The Workers’ Day is a type of Christmas Day to Nigerian workers, and there are lots of expectations. The welfare of workers is paramount and should be taken into consideration. It is also expected that lots of incentives will be rolled out to cushion the effects of the policies initiated by the government, which have continued to limit the purchasing power of workers and Nigerians as a whole.
“Presently, the purchasing power is weak in the country. It is also expected that a new minimum wage will be announced on that day. Workers are looking forward to that. Also, we expect that the government finally use the opportunity to launch the CNG buses which it promised over a year ago. These are our expectations.”
According to a report by Africa Today News in New York, organized labor, which includes the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, has urged that the new minimum wage for workers in the nation be determined to be N615,000.
Reporters were informed by a reliable source who is an executive of organized labor but did not want to be identified since he was not authorized to comment on the subject. This individual said that the new pay of N615,000 per month was determined following discussions between the National Labor Committee and the Trades Union Congress.
Despite this, the source, who was a member of one of the subcommittees that the government established to work on obtaining a new minimum wage for the nation, said that the salary may still grow in light of the recent increase in the price of power.