TheCable

The north-west chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has proposed N485,000 as the new national minimum wage for workers in the country.

The proposal was contained in a position paper presented on Thursday at the north-west public hearing, which held at the Government House, Kano.

Kabir Inuwa, the Kano state chairman of the congress, made the presentation on behalf of the north-west leadership.

He said the proposal of N485,000 was necessary, considering the dynamics of the national economy.

“It is imperative to propose a new minimum wage that reflects the cost of living and ensures a decent standard of living for workers,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“The proposed new minimum wage per month should be determined through a comprehensive assessment of the current economic conditions, inflation rates, and basic needs of workers and their families.

“The congress is of the opinion that for any minimum wage to achieve its purpose, it must reflect realities of the economic situation and accordingly assess the least income that would be sufficient for survival of a family of six.”

Inuwa added that the minimum wage Act had given all the protection required for compliance.

“This may be initiated by an individual or trade unions. The lack of awareness on the existing laws constitutes rampant contravention of the law, most especially by some state and local governments,” he said.

“If the labour unions can initiate a mechanism to explore the provision of the law, it would record minimum defaults.”

He added that the federal government can ensure compliance, through withholding of allocations to any state or public institution that contravenes the minimum wage law.