Workers in Ondo State have formally demanded that the state government increase the minimum wage from N73,000 to N256,950.
They cited the harsh economic realities facing Nigerians as the reason for the demand.
Workers in Ondo State have formally demanded that the state government increase the minimum wage from N73,000 to N256,950, citing the harsh economic realities facing Nigerians.
Advertisement
In a letter on Sunday, and addressed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa through the state council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions, the workers said the current wage could no longer sustain the average citizen.
The letter, signed by the NLC chairman in Ondo State, Comrade Ademola Olapade, and the state secretary, Comrade Akin Sunday, stressed that the removal of fuel subsidy and inflation had worsened the plight of workers and pensioners.
It also noted that the rising costs of food, transportation, housing, and healthcare had further deepened their hardship.
According to the letter, “It is only just and reasonable that Ondo State, which is blessed with oil wealth and resource potential, does not lack behind but instead leads in setting progressive standards for others to emulate.”
The workers also pointed out that Imo State, despite not being an oil-producing state, had begun paying a minimum wage of N104,000 to workers and pensioners.
They urged the Ondo State government to constitute a negotiation committee without delay.
The letter further read: “Your Excellency, Ondo State is not just any state, it is a critical contributor to Nigeria’s oil revenue.
“As such, it is unacceptable that its workers and pensioners continue to live under wages that do not reflect the state’s strategic and financial status.
“Governance must not only be about policies and projects but also about people’s welfare and ability to live dignified lives.
“A government that pays its workers and pensioners a just wage is a government that honours the social contract it holds with its people.”
