The Director-General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Kwara State, Issa Aremu, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for what he termed his “categorical presidential commitment” to a new national minimum and living wage in 2024.

In his reaction to the President’s New Year broadcast in a statement on Monday in Ilorin, Mr Aremu commended Mr Tinubu for his commitment to wage-led growth strategy, economic recovery and poverty eradication through payment of adequate living wages in 2024.

He noted in the President’s New Year address to the nation that he disclosed that “material well being of the poor, the most vulnerable and the working people shall not be neglected.’’

He lauded the initiative of the President to implement a new national living wage for our industrious workers of Nigeria.

The director-general called on states and local government councils, employers of labour and organised labour to align with the vision of Mr Tinubu in making 2024 a year of mass secure, productive and decent work in conditions of human dignity.

This, he said, also included a healthy environment, with negotiated adequate promptly paid minimum and living wages.

He decried what he called a state of total collapse of wage income due to low devalued and delayed salary payment that has turned workers into what he called “working beggars” as distinct from “dignified value-adding work force.’’

Mr Aremu stressed that 2024 expected tripartite wage negotiations would be the 6th of such national minimum wage review since 1981 (N125); 1990 (N250); 2000 (N5,500); 2011 (N18,000) and 2018 (N30,000).

He noted that it was remarkable that the President acknowledged the reality of high costs of living and inflation caused by inevitable petroleum subsidy removal.

He added that the President had rightly set the stage for robust constructive collective bargaining for new wage review in line with Nigeria’s labour laws and relevant conventions of the International Labour Organisation.

The director-general observed that the pronouncement on wage improvement further pointed to Tinubu’s labour-friendly disposition dated to his presidential campaign council in which he dedicated a directorate to labour, adding that he was the only presidential candidate to do so.

He said, “Labour truly creates national wealth but labour must be promptly well paid, motivated, assured of income security after retirement as well as disciplined and skilled through training and retraining.’’

He submitted that the success of the Renewed Hope 8-point Agenda dealing with poverty eradication, economic growth, job creation and fighting corruption depend on motivated millions of workers in formal and informal sectors, private and public sectors.

 (NAN)