Minimum Wage: ‘Our Hope Not Renewed Yet’, TUC Urges FG To Implement 2023 Agreements

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on the Federal Government to enforce all agreements made with organised labour in 2023, with a particular emphasis on the National Minimum Wage.

In a New Year message for 2024, Festus Osifo, the President of TUC, expressed this sentiment. The message was collectively endorsed by the union’s secretary-general, Nuhu Toro, and was issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

The message is titled, ‘Our hope not renewed yet.’

Osifo stated that in 2023, the TUC made efforts to uphold social dialogue with the federal government. However, he highlighted that despite their endeavours, the government had not fulfilled straightforward fundamental agreements with labour.

He emphasised that the labour sector had insisted on the notarisation by the court of the agreements reached on October 2, 2023, between them and the administration.

“However, the government has serially violated the agreements. For instance, item two clearly states that ‘A minimum wage committee shall be inaugurated within one month from the date of this agreement.’

“Today, three months after, no such committee has been set up, and this is our experience with this government in at least two previous agreements reached in June.

“TUC has resolved to demand of the Tinubu administration that in 2024, all agreements between labour and government should be implemented.

“This includes the payment of the monthly N35,000 Wage Award to Public Servants in the Local Government, State and Federal services.

“These must be implemented until a new National Minimum Wage is implemented,” he said.

Osifo emphasised that a new negotiation for the National Minimum Wage must be undertaken and implemented promptly, and any delays during the year should be compensated with arrears.

He pointed out that the prevailing inflation rate, standing at 28.20 per cent, should be significantly reduced to align with the Sub-Saharan African regional average of 9.4 per cent.

The TUC president urged both state and federal governments to discontinue the counterproductive and unpatriotic practice of unnecessarily acquiring loans for economic purposes.

“This is especially when these loans only end up being used to purchase thousands of expensive jeeps for legislators, pampered members of the Executive and their spouses, among others,” he said.

He urged the government to halt its misguided devaluation of the national currency, as it is contributing to the downfall of local industries reliant on foreign exchange for importing raw materials.

Osifo highlighted that this situation has resulted in significant inflation in the import-dependent economy.

The TUC president also advocated for an end to the street sale of the Naira, attributing it to the scarcity induced by the Central Bank. Osifo suggested that this issue could be resolved by ensuring a sufficient supply of Naira notes within the banking system.

Furthermore, he called for a substantial reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to address the economic damage and promote local production of refined products.

Osifo emphasised that the security of Nigerians should serve as the primary criterion for deciding whether military personnel, security chiefs, and other officials should continue in their roles or be replaced.

He called on Tinubu to take disciplinary action against officials responsible for severe security breaches, citing the December 2023 massacres in Plateau as a significant example.

Osifo also advocated for the prioritisation of Community Policing, along with mobilising the citizenry to actively participate in defending themselves against threats such as banditry.

“The Year 2024 holds a lot of promise for us all, provided Nigerians as a people would unite and assert our authority over all powers.

“These include the Nigerian ruling class manning all branches, levels, institutions and organs of government,” he said.