A cross section of workers and unionists at the just concluded 10 National Delegates of Nigeria labour Congress, NLC, told Saturday Vanguard that the N18,000 minimum is an improvement on the previous one.
Comrade Bassey Harry, National Public Relations Officers, PRO, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.
Well, if when they did not have N18.000, they have been surviving, with this I think they can do better for now.
The question of how the can spend it depends on individual worker. You cannot draw expenses for anybody. It is based on commitment, responsibilities and liabilities. So, there is no how you can be able to assess individual’s expenses when it comes to the issue of wages. It essentially depends on different level of liabilities that individual has.
Benita Besong, State Secretary, National Union of Local Government Employee, NULGE, Abia State.
N18,000 is not enough for an average worker in Nigeria of today. As a worker, whether you like it or not, you have dependants who will depend on that N18.000 in addition to immediate family considering the level of poverty in Nigeria.
But once a person is working in a family, everybody looks up to him or her. Certainly, it is not enough. You have to pay for your children school fees; you have to cater for your wife, the house utility bills, taxes and other sundry expenses. If your parents are alive, in addition to that of your wife or your husband, you have to shoulder their responsibilities.
Certainly, the amount is not enough. Never the less, we have to commend the efforts of our leaders through the NLC because, if not for anything, it has gone a little above what we had been earning.
Though like I said, it is not enough, we have to start from somewhere. If today they can get N18.000 for the workers, we have every assurance that tomorrow, it will certainly be better.
Aladoye Olufemi Pius, Deputy President, National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, NUFBTE.
It is not possible for an average Nigerian, not just a worker to survive on N18.000. But we have been surviving before this new increment. We will continue to survive, but that money will certainly not be enough because you will pay your house rent, pay your utility bills, pay your children education fees, feed the family, pay your healthcare.
We have to be sincere to ourselves; N18.000 can not support an average work to have even a minimum comfort not talk of relatives and other dependants.
Comrade Oyewole Omoyeni, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.
N18.000 cannot sustain an average worker for a month. We all know that labour demanded for N52, 200; I believe that the N18.000 is just a template to agitate for further increase.
We all know that N18.000 is not enough, it cannot take care of the basic needs of a worker not to talk of a worker with a family and extended relatives or dependants. It is not adequate for a family of four for instance and not to talk about a family of six. But whenever it is paid, it is going to be the starting point; it is like you are laying a foundation for you to build on it.
Austin Ogba, National Union Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers.
Look, there is no basis for such a question because no worker or an adult can spend and live on N18.000 minimum wage for a month. The amount is baseless because it cannot even take care of your transportation for a month, not to talk of taking care of your basic needs, commitments, responsibilities and liabilities such as your house rent, children school fees, and the rest of them. So it is not feasible at all.
Blossom Cyril, Public servant
It is very difficult to survive with N18, 000 monthly salary per month even when do not have a family of your own, not to talk of where you have a family and extended relations coupled with the high cost of transportation, housing, healthcare.
I don’t know how someone like me will cope with this amount. But that is the much they can press for at least for now because before now, it had been very difficult.
So, since this is the best they can get for now we thank God, but it is really not encouraging because if you weigh this salary in relation to what is obtainable in real life out there, you will discover that N18,000 monthly wage is nothing. Nothing compared with what a child of a senator spends in a month.
Shade Falode, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)
I don’t think an average worker can survive with N18,000 monthly salary. This day, what can you use N18,000 to buy? Is it fuel; is it to pay the school fees of the children or other utilities? I don’t know a worker that amount can sustain.
I think that is impossible. I don’t think that amount can sustain a family of four as I only use N18,000 in a week for daily expenses.
Esther Sunday, private sector worker
A worker can survive or live on N18.000 per month through proper management of the meager salary. We have to take live the way we see it. So no matter how small the salary is, we have to economise and try to survive with it. But is it not easy.
Juliana Andrew, private sector worker
Yes we can survive with N18,000 minimum wage. All we need to do is to manage the money well especially when you are single. But once you are married and have children, then it is another issue entirely.
Talashia Johnson, local government employee.
The amount is okay for a single person, such a person can manage. Somebody like me, I will list all my needs and order my priorities and go for the most important ones.
Lucy Effiong, Nigerian Civil Service Union, NCSU
Well, it is quite unfortunate because when we started the struggle for minimum wage with all the market indices, labour proposed N52,200, but because of those working in the small and medium enterprises they made representation that at the end of the day labour now conceded to N18,000 which is the minimum.
However states and federal government could pay as much as N52,200 or more. The N18,000 minimum wage is a poverty wage and workers cannot survive on that amount.
Lateefat Okanawo, textile worker
It is nothing to write home about as the amount is too small for an average worker.
If the members of the National Assembly are collecting this minimum wage, nobody will be there. That is the country where we find ourselves. I don’t think we can survive with that minimum wage. It cannot go anywhere, but for today, we have to take it as it is.
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