Workers in Rivers State are demanding for four hundred and forty seven thousand naira as minimum wage. The chairman of the Trade Union Congress in Rivers State Ikechukwu Onyefuru said this as the Federal Government begins public hearing to determine a new minimum wage for workers in the country. Ikechukwu Onyefuru told our reporter that they will not accept the minimum wage that will not benefit the work force. He said he will want the review that will happen to focus more on living wages as a basis for accepting minimum wage otherwise the South- South workers and Rivers workers especially will be earning unequal pay for equal work, and further plunge into poverty just like all other workers across the country. He however, said it is important that the workers bring out clearly the fact that it is end to end value in terms of goods and services and the rising inflations in Nigeria.
The Trade Union Congress boss in Rivers State Ikechukwu Onyefuru expressed optimism that the public hearing will give room for stakeholders to state their demand and also the data that will be generated through public hearing will be use without bias to set up a reasonable minimum wage that will be devoid of politicizing. He warned against the politicization of whatever amount that would be agreed upon as the new minimum wage at the end of the consultation meeting. He said if the Federal Government is honest and sincere, then the general data that would be generated for this public will be generated from this public hearing will be used at least as a basis to determine a reasonable minimum wage for all the workers in Nigeria.
