The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has frowned at the N27,000 minimum wage approved for Nigerian state workers by the National Council of State, insisting on N30,000 for all workers.
The union was also not comfortable with the Federal Government’s decision to pay its workers N30,000 as minimum wage.
It could be recalled that, Lagos Times had reported that the National Council of State at its Tuesday, January 22 meeting, approved N27,000 as the new minimum wage for state workers and N30,000 for Federal workers.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said that the Federal Government would pay 30,000 as minimum wage to its workers.
The minister said the state governors were at liberty to add to the approved amount if they so desire, but the option of paying should not be less than N27,000.
However, in his reaction, Secretary-General of the NUT, Dr Mike Ene, said the council should make the new minimum wage equal across board.
“It is unfair and needed to be addressed immediately because a worker is a worker everywhere in the country, either with the federal or state government.
“The N30,000 translates to N1,000 per day, we insist that the 30,000 stands for all workers in the country,’’ Ene said.
Dr Sabiu Sani, a lecturer with the Department of Economics, University of Abuja, said the government would have implemented the tripartite committee agreement.
Sani said, “We are supposed to have leaders that we can trust and not those that show disrespect to contract.’’