The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the Federal Government's payment of only one month of the five-month N35,000 wage award arrears as "tokenistic and dismissive," expressing dissatisfaction with the piecemeal approach to settling workers' entitlements.
NLC spokesperson, Benson Upah, made this known in an exclusive interview with BenriNews on Tuesday, stating categorically that organized labour is not impressed with the government's handling of the wage arrears.
"Clearing one month out of five is both tokenistic and dismissive. We are not impressed," Upah told BenriNews.
Government's Position on Wage Payments
The Federal Government, through Bawa Mokwa, spokesman of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, had earlier confirmed to BenriNews that payment of the pending five-month wage award commenced at the end of May. Mokwa added that the remaining payments would be made in installments.
The government has also clarified that it has fully implemented the N70,000 minimum wage across its ministries, agencies, and parastatals, which was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024.
Implementation Challenges Across Government Tiers
Despite the federal government's claims, the NLC has called for 100 percent implementation across all tiers of government, highlighting particular concerns at the local government level.
"We have spoken on the issue of minimum wage implementation repeatedly at the three tiers of government. Most states have implemented it. There are issues at the local government council that we want quickly resolved by the AGF. This will ensure seamless implementation," Upah explained.
The labour leader expressed disappointment that some federal government agencies are defaulting in implementing the minimum wage payment, though he noted that "processes of engagement are, however, on."
Despite the challenges, Upah maintained that the national minimum wage remains the best option for Nigerian workers, even with the erosion of its value by government policies in the last two years.
"On the impact of the national minimum wage, in spite of the erosion of its value by the government's policies, it remains the best option for workers. We should strengthen as well as create value around the process," he concluded.
Follow BenriNews on social media for more updates:
