The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, says state governors can afford to pay the proposed N615,000 minimum wage if their priorities are right.
Ajaero made this known on Thursday during an interview with Channels Television.
Organised labour recently declared that N615,000 should be the new minimum wage.
The idea was made in the midst of continuous discussions about the minimum wage between organised labour and the federal, state, and local governments.
The national minimum wage was set at N30,000 by the former president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2019. Some states took an extremely long time to enact the increase in the minimum wage when it was announced at the time.
When asked during the interview if the N615,000 offered by organised labour is reasonable, Ajaero responded that, considering the nation’s rapidly rising inflation, it is the “most realistic” sum.
The NLC president said organised labour considered factors like transportation, housing, and feeding before arriving at the sum.
“If you are talking about being realistic, the N615,000 demand is the most realistic. Being realistic is not about slave wage,” Ajaero said.
“However, N30,000 is big money if inflation is brought down, and at a single digit.
“Look at the indices that create inflation. If you check them, you can talk about being realistic. All other factors in the country are going high and wages remain constant.”
Asked if states can afford the N615,000 proposal, the NLC president averred that it is not about ability to pay but the priorities of states.
“I think we need to understand the issues of ability to pay and not getting the priority right,” he added.
“Most of the states that have shown willingness to pay the current minimum wage are not among those getting the highest revenue.
“During the time of Muhammadu Buhari, some states were declared not having enough money to pay and he released funds for them to pay.
“Those states still refused to pay. It is not the question of either the quantum of money that they have or not, it is what they decide to do with such money.
“If they get their priorities right, then a lot can happen.”
Organised labour has also threatened to embark on a strike if a new minimum wage is not announced before May 31, 2024.
