NLC Denies Negotiating N40,000 Salary Adjustment for Federal Workers

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has denied negotiating the N40,000 consequential adjustment granted to Federal Government workers following the implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage. According to the NLC, its role in the minimum wage process is limited to negotiating the national wage through a tripartite arrangement involving organised labour, the government, and employers. The congress stated that adjustments to existing salary structures were negotiated separately by unions in their respective sectors.

The NLC's Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, signed a statement describing claims that it negotiated the N40,000 across-the-board addition for federal workers as false and a distortion of Nigeria's collective bargaining framework. Upah emphasized that the NLC was not responsible for negotiating the consequential adjustment, which involves reviewing salaries across different grade levels to maintain the differences between the earnings of junior and senior employees.

The adjustment process was negotiated by the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, comprising government representatives and about eight trade unions with their national leadership. This council is responsible for negotiating the implementation of minimum wage agreements and consequential adjustments for federal workers. Similar arrangements exist at the state level, where unions negotiate with their respective governments.

In the private sector, industrial unions negotiate directly with employers' associations, depending on the structure and circumstances of their respective industries. The NLC cited the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers and the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees as an example of sector-specific bargaining arrangements. The congress emphasized that it represents workers across the public and private sectors but does not directly negotiate consequential adjustments for individual sectors.

The NLC's clarification comes amid renewed attention to the implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage, which was approved by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024. The consequential adjustment process was intended to realign existing salary structures with the new minimum wage, with negotiations conducted across different categories of public and private sector employment.

The congress warned that misinformation could create divisions within the labour movement and shift accountability away from the institutions responsible for negotiating workers' pay. The NLC urged workers to hold the relevant institutions accountable for the outcomes of consequential adjustment negotiations. The congress also stated that it would push for a new national minimum wage that approximates a living wage.

The NLC's denial of involvement in the consequential adjustment negotiations highlights the importance of distinguishing between minimum wage negotiations and consequential adjustments. As discussions over a new national minimum wage approach, the congress emphasized the need for accurate information and accountability within the labour movement.

Key points

• The Nigeria Labour Congress did not negotiate the N40,000 consequential adjustment for federal workers.
• The Joint Public Service Negotiating Council is responsible for negotiating consequential adjustments for federal workers.
• The NLC will push for a new national minimum wage that approximates a living wage.