Labour unions in North East propose N560,000 per month as minimum wage

Labour unions in the North East have proposed N560,000 per month as national minimum wage.

While the branches of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, in the six states of the North East recommended a monthly minimum wage of N560,000, the Adamawa and Bauchi state governments recommended N45,000.

The six branches of the two major labour groups, which made a presentation on Thursday during the North East Zonal Public Hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, said they had carefully worked out economic imperatives to arrive at the N560,000.

Adamawa State Chairman of the NLC, Emmanuel Fashe, who presented the joint recommendation of his colleagues as well as TUC leaders in all the states of the North East, recommended a review of whatever becomes the new minimum wage on two-yearly basis instead of the current five-yearly review template.

The Adamawa State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, made a similarly high recommendation, seeking N486,000 per month for employees of government and other big organizations.

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The state CAN acting chairman, Gambo Bupwadta, said that to arrive at its figure, the association took a painstaking review of the expenditures of average families, including feeding, medical needs, accommodation, transportation, and education of children.

In its own memeorandum, the state branch of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, said it aligned with the position of the NLC on what should be the new minimum wage.

The Adamawa State chapter of National Council of Women Societies, NCWS, demanded N200,000 as the new monthly minimum wage, while the state leadership of the Muslim Council of Nigeria recommended N75,000.

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, attended the North East Zonal Public Hearing of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, while the Deputy Governor of the host Adamawa State, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, represented Governor Ahmadu Fintiri at the hearing.

The hearing in Yola was chaired by NLC President, Joe Ajaero.

Commissioners or permanent secretaries represented the governments of Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi, Borno and Taraba states.

Gombe and Taraba state governments each suggested N60,000 as new minimum wage, while Borno State said that it had not taken a position on the matter.

The Yobe State Government proposed three-yearly review of minimum wage without suggesting how much the new minimum wage should be.