We Expected ₦100,000 Or More, Labour Reacts As Sanwo-Olu Approves ₦85,000 Minimum Wage For Lagos Workers

The Organized Labour has commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his approval of ₦85,000 minimum wage for Lagos State employees.

The Labour union expected that the minimum wage for Lagosians would exceed ₦100,000, considering the peculiarities of Lagos in transportation, accommodation, utility and feeding.

It, however, acknowledged that Sanwo-Olu took a step in the right direction.

“We were expecting nothing less than N100,000 but, at least it is a step in the right direction,” the labour union stated.

Naija News reports that Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, announced that the minimum wage for civil servants in the state is ₦85,000.

The Governor announced this during an interview with Channels Television.

He said, “I’m glad to let you know that the minimum wage for Lagos, which we have discussed with our union, is ₦85,000 today.

“It is not a competition. I am not going to say that we are paying more than some people, it is a function of affordability and capacity.

“We know too well that when people live in Lagos, Lagos has a premium in terms of the cost of living. We are fully aware.

“We also increased our salary earlier in the year. I will want to come back in January and say that I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos to ₦100,000, not because I want to make anybody look bad, but because I want my people to have a living wage.”

In a statement issued to journalists on Thursday, Labor representatives characterized the endorsement as a significant and positive move.

The Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Lagos State Chapter, Funmi Sessi, remarked that the new minimum wage approved for Lagos workers is a timely and encouraging development given the nation’s current economic challenges.

Sessi noted that the union had anticipated a minimum wage exceeding N85,000, considering the unique circumstances within the state.

“The state governor knows the peculiarities of Lagos in transportation, accommodation, utility and feeding; the workers and Lagosians pay more on all these.

“We were expecting nothing less than ₦100,000 but at least it is a step in the right direction.

“We are expecting a massive infrastructure provision in the state; there should be an alternative to road transportation,“ she said.

The chairman urged the government to ensure security and protection of lives on waterways.

“Recently, there was an accident that happened where two boats collided at night, and we lost lives. If people are sure of getting to their destinations safely, they will like to take alternatives to the road,” Sessi noted.

Also, Ishola Adejumo, the Chairman of Radio, Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, also commended the governor for the approval.

He described the cost of living in Lagos as very high, saying that there was a need for a commensurate wage.

“The ₦85,000 minimum wage is a welcome development and very much anticipated.

“This is a state that sets the pace for other states in Nigeria; the centre of excellence, land of aquatic splendour, a cosmopolitan state, the economic hub of this country.

“Therefore, people who work in Lagos deserve a better wage because they spend more compared to other states,” he said.

Adejumo urged the governor to sustain the tempo in other areas.

“The governor should sustain the BRT subsidy and all other measures that will bring succour and happiness to the working people of Lagos.

“We congratulate him and thank him,” he said.