NIGERIAN workers join their contemporaries worldwide today, May 1, to commemorate 2024 International Labour Day, also known as Workers Day.
The Workers Day, backed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), started in the 19th century when workers worldwide called for more equitable pay, shorter workdays, and better working conditions.
In Nigeria, workers from all industries, including the public and private sectors, celebrate it as a national holiday marked with marches, parades, speeches, and other events.
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The day is for honouring the labour force and acknowledging their contributions to global and national economies.
Challenges confronting Nigerian workers
Poor wage is one of Nigerian workers’ biggest challenges.
The current minimum wage is N30,000, but some workers still receive less than this amount, and several others are not paid when due.
Lack of adequate transportation also affects Nigerian workers. Many find it hard to commute to and from work due to the shortage of staff buses and the high cost of transportation.
This problem has been compounded since President Bola Tinubu removed the subsidy on petrol on the day he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
Another issue confronting Nigerian workers is the high inflation rate. Due to low wages, most workers find it challenging to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and medical care. The situation is considerably worse for individuals employed in the unregulated sector, where pay is meagre.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that in March 2024, the inflation rate increased to 33.2 per cent from 31.7 per cent in February. Moreover, food inflation increased from 30 per cent in February to 31.7 per cent in March.
In addition to the high inflation rate, Nigerian workers battle long working hours. Many employees work up to 12 hours a day without overtime compensation, which affects their health and general well-being, leaving them with no time for family or friends.
Many Nigerian workers lack access to social security programmes like health insurance and pension plans, which exposes them to financial shocks in the event of illness or injury. In places where these are available, they have been characterised by poor services and corruption.
Unfavourable working conditions also pose a great danger to Nigerian workers. Many workers are compelled to work in hazardous and unhygienic conditions. In Nigeria, factories still have inadequate safety gear and poor ventilation for their employees.
Labour’s demand
The federal government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) are negotiating a new minimum wage to address growing food prices and inflation.
A new minimum wage of N615,000 was demanded by the National Labour Council (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as the government has set up a committee for the new wage.
The labour unions agreed to continue with the status quo following Vice President Kashim Shettima’s formation of a 37-person panel in the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja on January 30 on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
The panel’s mandate was to recommend a new national minimum wage, and its membership included representatives from organised labour, the corporate sector, and both federal and state governments.
Government intervention
At various levels of government in Nigeria, major labour organisations like the TUC and the NLC are always at loggerheads with the authorities over issues that affect labour.
The government raised the minimum wage from 18,000 to N30,000 monthly in 2019, which many considered too low.
Perhaps Edo State workers can celebrate as their government approved a new minimum wage of N70,000 for them on Monday, April 29.
Similarly, the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said no worker earned less than N70,000 in the state.
President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, May 1, reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing workers’ welfare.
In a Workers’ Day message released by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu congratulated Nigerian workers and assured them of his dedication to improving their welfare and working conditions.
He also affirmed his commitment to providing the necessary tools for them to succeed.
He noted that he firmly believed that the custodians of the nation’s machinery deserved a fair wage and enhanced welfare.
The President had earlier approved a salary increase of between 25 per cent and 35 per cent for civil servants on the remaining six Consolidated Salary Structures.
The head of press, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Emmanuel Njoku, announced the development in a statement on Tuesday, April 30.
According to the statement, the increase was to take effect from January 1, 2024.
Labour rejects wage increase
Reacting to the salary increase on Wednesday, May 1, while speaking on Channels Telivision’s Sunrise Daily, the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, described the decision as a ‘mischievous’ move.
Ajaero noted that the last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on April 18.
“I think the announcement now appears mischievous because there is no wage increase that the government is announcing. For them to announce it now is an issue that we are worried about at the NLC and even at the TUC,” Ajaero said.”
He added: “We have housing and accommodation of N40,000. We asked for electricity of N20,000 — of course, that was before the current tariff increase. Nobody can spend this amount currently. We have a utility that is about N10,000. We looked at kerosene and gas which is about N25,000 to N35,000.
Ajaero also stated that N20,000 was allocated for clothing, N50,000 for education, and N10,000 for sanitation.”
He said another bulk of the money was for transportation, noting that the workers stay on the fringes because of the cost of PMS, which amounted to N110,000.
“That brought the whole living wage to N615,000 and I want anyone to subject this to further investigation and find out whether there will be any savings when you pay somebody on this rate.”
New minimum wage will take effect from May 1 – FG
While addressing the concerns raised by the NLC on Wednesday, the federal government stated that although the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage was yet to conclude its negotiations, workers would not incur any losses.
It added that the new minimum wage would take effect from May 1, 2024, as earlier agreed upon.
The Minister of State Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, stated this while addressing Nigerian workers at the May Day celebration in Abuja.
She expressed regret that the new national minimum wage wasn’t prepared before today but assured that extensive consultations were underway to expedite the compilation of the document.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance