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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:04 Today, the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress,
00:08 led by its president, Mr. Joe Ageru,
00:12 paid a court-service to the Gadhia.
00:15 The visit comes as most decoders demand an explanation
00:21 of the request for 650,000 minimum wage by the Congress.
00:29 The Gadhia TV will be speaking to Mr. Ageru
00:33 on this specific demand and other issues
00:37 bordering the economy.
00:40 Mr. Joe Ageru, nice to meet you.
00:42 Thank you very much.
00:43 It's good to have you with us this afternoon.
00:45 My pleasure.
00:47 This is not the first time we are having
00:49 minimum wage conversation.
00:51 We've had it over and over before.
00:54 Why does it appear that it is different this time?
00:57 The old minimum wage expired on 18th of April.
01:01 From 19th, Nigeria has entered a new regime of minimum wage.
01:07 But since there was nothing, and you know nature was evocative,
01:11 our people now said, we can't wait till infinity.
01:16 After May, end of May, we can no longer guarantee
01:21 industrial peace and harmony.
01:23 So that was the position we communicated to government
01:27 and Nigerians.
01:28 And we went back, did a letter formally
01:31 to the secretary, to the government, and all that.
01:33 So they have not gotten back to us.
01:35 OK, I come to government's ability to pay.
01:40 The amount you are requesting or you are demanding
01:42 is about 200% above what the current minimum wage is.
01:49 If you look at government income,
01:51 you look at government ability to pay,
01:53 you look at our debt, the percentage of our honey
01:57 that goes into debt, do you honestly
02:00 think that the government will be able to pay this money?
02:03 The issue of our ability to pay is relative and based
02:06 on priority.
02:08 Government priority is to take care of the interests
02:10 of the worker, the workforce.
02:13 And for sake of productivity, they will pay it.
02:16 We didn't ask so many things.
02:18 There's no money for mineral for you to drink.
02:21 No, there's no money for GSM.
02:24 We assume that the worker should not even own a phone.
02:26 There's no money for communication.
02:28 There's no money for even security.
02:29 Assuming as street people are comfortable,
02:32 there's no money for saving.
02:33 There's no money for maintenance of anything.
02:35 If you have a bicycle or even motorbike or even a motor,
02:40 there's no provision for it.
02:42 It's money that you feed and be alive
02:45 to the end of the next month.
02:46 So I want you to go through it stage by stage
02:49 and see whether the worker has anything to save.
02:51 And that's the most realistic.
02:53 If forced subsidy were not removed,
02:56 what would labor be demanded as minimum wage?
03:00 Let's assume that forced here about 190 per liter
03:09 or 185 Naira per liter.
03:11 Probably.
03:12 So what would be your demand?
03:13 We could have been asking for about 200,000.
03:16 The government has not responded appropriately.
03:19 But we are hoping that in the coming days,
03:21 the government will make an offer.
03:23 And if the government makes an offer,
03:24 how will you come down from this demand?
03:30 Labor is thinking of going up and not coming down.
03:35 Because of--
03:35 Up to how much?
03:36 Up to even a million.
03:38 Because of certain variables that are associated with it.
03:42 After this demand, the issue of electricity tariff came up.
03:47 And all other factors moved up.
03:49 Because every decision-- after this demand,
03:53 forced scarcity everywhere.
03:55 Everything pushed up.
03:57 We're asking ourselves that if we
03:58 are to meet tomorrow at the negotiating team,
04:01 we are going to ask for adjustment of this.
04:04 After this, even the value of the dollar
04:08 seemed to be going up again.
04:10 So you can't have an economy that
04:13 the operators of that economy are not checking inflation.
04:16 They're not even checking the value of their local currents.
04:20 If it continues to go up, even the one million
04:22 will not be enough.
04:23 There are socials here and there that
04:26 Nigerian workers are among the least productive workers
04:30 in the world.
04:31 Do you agree with this?
04:32 Nigerian workers--
04:33 And do you think that is an area that should also
04:35 co-sign Nigeria Labor Congress?
04:38 Nigerian workers are the least paid in the whole world.
04:40 If you want Nigerian workers to be the most hard working
04:44 and be the least paid in the globe, then there's a problem.
04:48 Now, Nigerians that have migrated from this country, who
04:52 are working, doing everything, are earning higher.
04:56 And they are recording as best.
04:58 The environment for the Nigerian worker to operate
05:01 is demotivating.
05:04 You are working in a Nigeria where
05:05 there is no social safety net, no insurance, no transport,
05:12 no transportation, no housing, nothing.
05:16 That's where you are working.
05:18 And then you have to even mow the block, one block, two
05:21 blocks, own your house.
05:22 No mortgage institution to take care of.
05:25 Nigeria is the hardest place to work in the whole universe.
05:29 So that assumption of productivity,
05:31 I don't know the index they are using.
05:33 Are they matching it based on work, based on input,
05:36 based on remuneration?
05:38 Based on what?
05:39 Let me tell you.
05:40 Let me take the people that work in the power sector.
05:43 When they are collapsing, a coastal dam or whatever,
05:45 you fly Nigerian engineers here to restore them.
05:50 And some other place, Nigerian worker,
05:51 if you check Nigerian police, all the places
05:54 they have gone for peacekeeping, damn, among them,
05:56 they are the best.
05:58 Check all over.
05:58 So you don't take an environment that is demotivating.
06:02 And you are saying people are not performing.
06:04 Even with the same environment, coastal environment,
06:06 that is choking, they are doing their best.
06:09 People work and retire 10 years, 20 years,
06:12 their pensions are not paid.
06:13 So why would you survive in such an environment?
06:15 I don't think that assumption is not
06:18 based on any scientific research.
06:21 OK, Mr. Ajeru, we are wondering whether your leadership is so
06:27 consumed in the negotiation for the minimum wage
06:31 that you are not coming up strong on issues,
06:34 other issues, socioeconomic issues that are also
06:38 affecting Nigerian workers.
06:39 For instance, the new cyber security levy,
06:43 where 0.5% levy, which is going to affect every city,
06:49 including your workers, your members.
06:53 So what is your position on this?
06:55 We have condemned it.
06:57 And we are standing firmly that it should be reversed.
06:59 It's not necessary.
07:00 The taxes are so much all over that the little
07:04 that the worker is earning is being eroded.
07:08 So we are going to call for review of all this.
07:10 And however, all the tax we realized in the past,
07:15 we have not been told that it was used for anything that
07:18 is so impactful to the citizenry.
07:21 From the beginning, and I'm not talking of this government,
07:24 since how many years ago, since Nigeria started,
07:27 that this is what we are using.
07:28 Some countries are operating and surviving with taxation.
07:31 And in most instances, you tax the rich to pay the poor.
07:34 Let me take you to a state where the governor offered
07:37 a 70,000 wage floor for adult workers.
07:44 Is that a good lead?
07:46 Or you take-- that was a mockery of what you are requesting.
07:50 While others are paying 30,000, he was paying 40,000.
07:55 Meanwhile, while others are still on 30,000,
07:59 the man has said, I will start paying 70,000.
08:02 But if they increase it tomorrow,
08:04 they are creating a nation, I will comply.
08:06 So I don't see why anybody would say that that man has not
08:10 done well for the movement.
08:12 We don't have any other country than Nigeria.
08:14 And we work together to make sure that Nigeria survives.
08:18 Some political leaders are collecting
08:21 what they don't need.
08:22 When you hear of 82 billion by a governor and all that,
08:26 you discover that nobody needs it.
08:29 And meanwhile, in that state, they are owing workers.
08:32 If greed is limited, is caught, the workers
08:37 will end their living.
08:39 There you have it, viewers.
08:41 The NSC president has been able to rationalize
08:45 the new demand by labor.
08:48 Be sure we will update you as the event unfolds.
08:53 For more interesting content, interviews, and breaking news,
08:57 do visit our official website at Guardian.ng,
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09:05 Bye for now.
09:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:10 (music)