May Day: Labour Demands Review Of N70,000 Minimum Wage, “We are Worse Off Under Tinubu”
- Nigerian workers said the N70,000 minimum wage is not enough to cater for their cost of living amidst rising inflation
- The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) leaders have asked for an upward review of the N70,000 minimum wage
- Civil servants in Kano state cried out for help as they have resorted to side hustle to meet their needs and that of their families
Legit.ng journalist, Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) leaders have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's federal government to urgently review the N70,000 minimum wage as the country celebrates May Day 2025.
The leaders of organised labour said workers were worse off since President Tinubu’s emergence.
Source: Facebook
This is despite Tinubu’s assurances that he would not only pay the workers a minimum wage but “a living wage.”
As reported by The Punch, labour leaders across the country lamented that workers had been crippled by the high cost of prices and soaring inflation.
They said the high cost of prices has made the N70,000 minimum wage inconsequential.
Workers are worse off under Tinubu's govt
The TUC chairman in Bayelsa state, Comrade Julius Laye, said workers are worse off under the President Tinubu administration.
“Even the minimum wage is not enough to cover Medicare. Incidentally, they have money to fly out to seek better medical attention, but the Nigerian workers do not have the means to do so.
“We are worse off in this administration than we had ever been at any other time.”
According to Daily Trust, civil servants in various states said the N70,000 new national minimum wage is not enough to cater for their cost of living amidst rising inflation.
The workers expressed worry over their inability to use the pay to cater to their necessary needs.
Kano workers resort to side hustle
A civil servant in Kano state, Sulaiman Aminu Yakasai said:
“For us the civil servants in Kano State, we have the advantage of combining work with business as a side hustle. Even the minimum wage we get is still not enough for us and our family. So, I usually go to market after closing hours and on weekends to make ends meet.”
A classroom teacher in Kano, Salihu Umar, said he is forever happy he maintained his shop at Kantin Kwari garment market even after he got a salary job.
Umar said even with the increase, the salary does not sustain him for a complete month.
Binta Abdullahi, a health worker said she spends more than half her salary on transport.
Abdullahi disclosed that she also sells wares to her colleagues at work and recovers the money at the end of the month.
Workers' Day: How best to honour Nigerian workers
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that an NNPP Chieftain, Olufemi Ajadi, called on the federal government to prioritise the welfare of Nigerian workers.
Ajadi made the call in a statement commemorating the Nigerian workers on the celebration of the 2025 International Workers' Day.
According to the NNPP chieftain, the workers play critical roles in shaping the country's progress, irrespective of the socio-economic challenges Nigeria is experiencing.
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Source: Legit.ng
