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Tag: minimum wage

  • May Day: You can’t win anti-corruption war with N18,000 minimum wage, Ekweremadu tells Buhari

    May Day: You can’t win anti-corruption war with N18,000 minimum wage, Ekweremadu tells Buhari

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said the anti-corruption war embarked upon by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration would only have a meaningful impact if the minimum wage is reviewed from N18,000 to N50,000.

    Ekweremadu stated this in his goodwill message to workers on May Day.

    He said the current N18,000 minimum wage was no longer realistic, given the hyperinflation in the country, which he said had made it difficult for overwhelming majority of Nigerian workers to afford the basic needs of life.

    He said: “I felicitate with our workers who toil day and night to move the nation forward. But we must collectively show the workers that we care beyond lip service. Importantly, it is high time we raised the minimum wage from N18,000 to N50,000. It does not make sense to preach anti-corruption alone without giving people the opportunity to earn honest and meaningful living.

    “The truth is that, the take-home pay can no longer take the workers home. Where it does, it cannot keep their homes happy, because they can hardly afford a bag of rice, let alone pay school fees, and foot other basic bills”, Ekweremadu said.

    He added that, the nation could afford N50,000 minimum wage through proper management of the economy and prudent expenditure by government at all levels.

     

  • We are running out of patience, implement new minimum wage now – TUC tells FG

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has told the Federal Government to implement the proposed minimum wage as the present economic realities does no longer favour the present wage.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Nigeria’s current minimum wage is N18,000. The organised labour is however asking for review of the wage to at least N50,000.

    Mr Ahmed Olayinka, Chairman, TUC, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter said while speaking during an awareness rally on the forthcoming International Workers, Day celebration slated for May 1, in Abuja.

    He warned that the workers cannot wait indefinitely for government; adding that in view of the hardship been experienced by Nigerian workers as a result of economic recession, the government should fast-track the implementation of the proposed new minimum wage.

    “We in the labour union and the entire Nigerian workers are losing our temper, the government must do something fast, because prices of things have skyrocket in the market.

    “The common man cannot afford the basic needs of life and workers now pay double of what they used to buy in the market’’.

    He said that the labour union was in support of the anti-corruption drive of President Muhammadu Buhari and would do anything to expose corrupt officials.

    Olayinka said that the Labour union had always been in support of good governance, adding that it was aware that corruption was fighting back and it would support the government to tame the tide.

    “Corruption is fighting back and we are on the same page with the government, but the only thing we are asking for is a review of the minimum wage because N18, 000.00 can no longer take care of us.”

    Also speaking, Comrade Amaechi Lawrence, Chairman FCT Chapter, Nigeria Labour Congress said that the union embarked on a road show to sensitise Nigerians on the workers day celebration

    He urged Nigerians workers, including market women and men to come out on the May Day to celebrate workers, adding that those in the FCT should converge on the Eagle square.

    Lawrence said that the NLC would continue to sensitise Nigerians against corruption, while calling on the government to quickly review workers wage because the N18, 000.00 minimum wage was grossly inadequate.

    Comrade James Imoyera, Assistant General Secretary, NLC urged Nigerian workers to come out en-mass to celebrate workers day.

    He said that workers needed to put the country on the path of progress, adding that Nigerian workers had been agitating for a review of minimum wage because they were the one creating the wealth.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that former President Goodluck Jonathan signed the N18,000 National Minimum Wage Bill into law on March 6, 2011.

    The new wage law states that once an employer in the public or private sector has a workforce of about 50 persons, he or she is bound by the law to pay a minimum wage of N18,000.

    The signing of the law increased the national minimum wage across the country from N7, 500 to N18,000 per month.

     

    NAN

  • Nigerian workers deserve N96, 000 minimum wage — ULC

    Nigerian workers deserve N96, 000 minimum wage — ULC

    The Northern Coordinator, United Labour Congress (ULC), John Gimbason on Saturday reiterated the union’s demand for N96,000 minimum wage for workers in the country.

    Gimbason said this while inaugurating a ULC 12-member State Executive Council on Saturday in Kaduna.

    He said the proposal was realistic and realisable considering the current inflation in the nation’s economy and in view of workers’ contributions to nation’s building.

    The former Kaduna State NLC chairman said that the new Labour Centre had opened negotiations with the Federal Government on the proposed N96, 000 minimum wage, assuring members that the proposal would soon yield fruits.

    According to him, while workers are over burdened with lots of responsibilities, they receive stipends as monthly salaries, even as some others do not receive their wages for months.

    He frowned at the Kaduna State government’s plan to sell off government quarters to the highest bidder, saying that it was unacceptible and called for the reversal of the decision.

    He appealed to the 25 unions under the ULC to give their maximum cooperation to ensure that workers in both public and private sectors were treated with human face.

    Meanwhile, the State Chairman of the ULC, Ephriam James, in his inaugural speech, said the council would ensure that workers in the state were liberated to earn salaries they deserve.

    He said the Union would engage the state government and other employers of labour in dialogue to ensure they arrived at agreements to improve welfare of workers.

    James, also State chairman, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), assured that whatever decision taken at the national level would be replicated in the state, especially with regard to wages.

    He called for support from members and 25 affiliated unions that formed the United Labour Congress to seek improved welfare of workers in the state without compromise.

     

    NAN

  • South Africa introduces $260 monthly minimum wage

    South Africa will introduce a national minimum wage of 3,500 rand (261 dollars) per month in 2018, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday, following protracted negotiations between the government and labour unions.

    Supporters of a minimum wage say it can stimulate growth as workers can spend more, as well as reducing inequality.

    Critics say it could lead to increased unemployment as employers will be unable to afford higher wage bills.

    Credit ratings agencies have said agreeing a minimum wage would help Africa’s most industrialised economy hold onto its investment-grade rating by stabilising the labour market and reducing the number of strikes.

    “The balance we have sought to strike is that it must not be too low, so that it doesn’t affect the lowest paid workers, but not too high that it leads to massive job losses,” Ramaphosa told a news conference.

    Ramaphosa said the national minimum wage, which equates to 20 rand (1.50 dollars) per hour, would come into effect in May 2018.

    Businesses that are unable to afford the minimum wage would be permitted to apply for an exemption of up to 12 months, Ramaphosa said.

    The Treasury had also thrown its political weight behind the policy initiative.

    Chief economist at Nedbank Dennis Dykes said the agreement was a sign of an improving relationship between labour, business and government, but warned that its implementation needed to be monitored.

    “It is by no means certain this will lead to job creation.

    “It needs to be watched carefully for any negative effects,” Dykes said.

    Monthly earnings for employees averaged 18,045 rand (1,200 dollars) per month in May 2016, according to Statistics.

    Mmany workers earn far less than that, with domestic workers and farm labourers among the lowest paid.

    Some unions had asked for a minimum wage of as much as 4,500 rand.

    South Africa’s mining sector was brought to its knees by a crippling five-month stoppage over pay in 2014,pushing the economy to the brink of a recession.

    South Africa’s unemployment rate hit its highest level on record, 27.1 per cent of the workforce, in the third quarter of 2016, and it remains amongst the world’s most unequal societies.