Bamgbose Betty, a former Treasurer of the National Labour Congress and current chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria suggested that senators should receive the minimum wage to better understand the plights of labour unions.
In an interview on Monday during the ongoing national strike declared by the NLC and Trade Union Congress, Betty expressed her dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the minimum wage negotiations.
“Why will the federal government…they said Round Table, the NLC, the TUC, they have been deliberating on this round table for so long? They feel that they should be putting 200 today, 300 tomorrow, 500 the next day for a minimum wage. It is enough. Enough is enough,” Betty spoke in front of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital laboratory, Lagos State.
She further said that the Senate and other high-ranking officials should have their salaries pegged to the proposed minimum wage, asserting, “For them to know where it pains us, let the senate, whatever, put their salary on this minimum wage too and let’s see what will happen. I mean, let it go round.”
The former NLC Treasurer lamented the struggles faced by workers regarding the economic realities in the country.
“When you get paid within two to three days, the salary is nowhere to be found…the suffering is too much,” Betty said.
However, despite the strike, Betty acknowledged that the essential duties of medical and health workers were still being performed. She stated, “But on here, as my chairman has said, we have our essential duties on the ground, we have that on the ground, but all others to go home please.”
On Friday, organized labour announced a nationwide indefinite strike due to the Federal Government’s refusal to increase the proposed minimum wage from N60,000. According to Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero, the strike would begin at midnight on Sunday, June 2, 2024.
In a joint statement, Ajaero and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Festus Osifo, expressed serious concerns and disappointment over the Federal Government’s failure to finalize and pass a new National Minimum Wage Act into law. They also demanded a reversal of the electricity tariff increase to N65/kWh.
Both unions had given a deadline of May 31, 2024, for negotiations on the new minimum wage. However, talks broke down on Tuesday after both parties presented their offers.
