As debate on the amount to be paid by the government as the new National Minimum wage rages on, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, Southwest Zonal Council, has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) are not asking for too much considering the current high cost of essential commodities and services.

This is just as the retirees demanded the abolition of five years review of the minimum wage, stating that the same should be negotiated periodically in line with economic reality.

The Southwest NUP made the call in Akure, the Ondo State capital in a communique issued at the end of its Zonal Council Meeting attended by pensioners’ executives from Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun, Lagos, and the host Ondo state.

Reading the communique to newsmen at the NUP House in Akure, the Southwest Zonal Public Relations Officer of the union and Oyo State Secretary, Dr Olusegun Abatan, said the Senior Citizens are not happy that the Tinubu’s government and state Governors are not taking the minimum wage negotiation seriously amidst hardship confronting workers, pensioners and Nigerians at large since the removal of fuel subsidy.

The NLC/TUC had proposed N497,000 as the new minimum wage, while the Government side and organized private sector are pushing for N57,000.

Reacting to the stalemate in the negotiation, the Southwest NUP leadership said, “In Nigeria, the situation is so dynamic that what you’re earning five years ago with the current situation of buying and selling commodities, services now, you will see that it is different.

“So what we are saying, in essence, is that we should go back to our memory lane, while the NLC and TUC should send a Bill to the National Assembly for enactment of a law that will compel the government to review minimum wage whenever there is an economic problem.

“The salary increase should be based according to the dictates of the socio-economic situation of the country, not until it reaches five years. So the demands of NLC, TUC is not out of place if we factor the economic problem, the amount of money the political holders are collecting every month in this country,” he said.

According to the Communique, there is a need for the Ondo state Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa to fulfill his promise of regular payment of gratuities and his administration should restore payment of N10,000 palliative allowance to pensioners in the state which was stopped since January this year.

The NLC/TUC had proposed N497,000 as the new minimum wage, while the Government side and organized private sector are pushing for N57,000.

Apparently reacting to the stalemate in the negotiation, the Southwest NUP leadership said, “In Nigeria, the situation is so dynamic that what you’re earning five years ago with the current situation of buying and selling commodities, services now, you will see that it is different.

“So what we are saying, in essence, is that we should go back to our memory lane, while the NLC and TUC should send a Bill to the National Assembly for enactment of a law that will compel the government to review minimum wage whenever there is an economic problem.