The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has contested the assertions made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his Democracy Day speech concerning the ongoing National Minimum Wage negotiations.
In his address, President Tinubu emphasized the government’s alleged dedication to fair negotiations and collaborative resolution. Nevertheless, the NLC argued that, although the historical context was accurately portrayed, the current state of the wage negotiation process was misrepresented.
According to the NLC, as articulated by its acting President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, there was no substantial agreement reached among its representatives, the government, and the Organised Private Sector regarding the new minimum wage.
In contrast to President Tinubu’s claim, the NLC insisted that its request for a minimum wage of N250,000 remained unaltered.
The NLC accused the President’s advisors of neglecting to provide him with accurate information, alleging that labor leaders were subjected to intimidation and harassment during negotiations.
The labor union emphasized the importance of Tinubu ensuring that any executive bill accurately reflects the genuine demands of Nigerian workers.
The NLC also expressed apprehension about the proposed duration and inflation adjustment clauses presented by the President, asserting that any minimum wage amount must safeguard workers’ dignity and alleviate poverty.
The statement conveyed: “The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) attentively listened to the Democracy Day presidential address delivered by His Excellency, Senator Bola Tinubu, particularly concerning the ongoing national minimum wage negotiations. While the President may have accurately recounted parts of our democratic journey’s history, it is evident that he has been misinformed regarding the outcome of the wage negotiation process.”
The NLC cited President Tinubu as stating: “As we continue to reform the economy, I shall always listen to the people and will never turn my back on you. In this spirit, we have negotiated in good faith and with open arms with organized labor on a new national minimum wage. We shall soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less.
“In the face of labor’s call for a national strike, we did not seek to oppress or crack down on the workers as a dictatorial government would have done. “We chose the path of cooperation over conflict. No one was arrested or threatened. Instead, the labor leadership was invited to break bread and negotiate toward a good-faith resolution.”
The NLC further stated, “We appreciate the President’s commitment to those fine democratic ideals, which allowed the work of the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to proceed unhindered despite some hiccups. However, we had expected Mr. President has used this understanding as one of those who was in the vanguard of the struggle with us around the nation to rescue Nigeria from the hands of the military to harmonize the two figures submitted to him by the Tripartite Committee in favor of workers and masses. It would have been a fitting Democracy Day gift.
“The NLC had expected that the advisers of the President would have told him that we neither reached any agreement with the Federal Government and the employers on the base figure for a National Minimum Wage, nor on its other components. Our demand still remains N250,000 only, and we have not been given any compelling reasons to change this position, which we consider a great concession by the Nigerian workers during the tripartite negotiation process.
“We are, therefore, surprised at the submission of Mr. President over a supposed agreement. We believe that he may have been misled into believing that there was an agreement with the NLC and TUC. There was none and it is important that we let the President, Nigerians, and other national stakeholders understand this immediately to avoid a mix-up in the ongoing conversation around the national minimum wage. We have also not seen a copy of the document submitted to him and will not accept any doctored document.
“However, we want to reaffirm our belief that the President, on whose table the Tripartite Committee’s report presently resides, would prepare an Executive Bill whose content will reflect the true demand of Nigerian workers. We think that this is an opportunity for him to demonstrate his love for Nigerian workers and masses by shunning the pieces of advice that may be coming from those whose intentions are continuously focused on hurting the poor and struggling workers of Nigeria. Mr. President should not allow these individuals and groups to sabotage his promise of lifting Nigerian workers out of poverty.
“The President’s advisers obviously did not tell him the truth that the leaders of the trade unions were intimidated and harassed. It is, therefore, important that Mr. President understands that we were threatened severally by his operatives perhaps without his consent. Series of media propaganda calculated to intimidate and harass us were, and, are still being waged against the trade unions by senior officials of this government. Fully armed soldiers surrounded us while we were in a negotiation with the government, and despite denials, recent statements by senior officials of the government reaffirmed our fears contrary to the assurances by the government. However, we remain assured that the President’s democratic credentials will come to the fore in favor of Nigerian workers and masses.
“It is also important that Mr. President should know that most of his officers are working round the clock to set up the leadership of congress and the trade unions. We never agreed on a five-year duration of the Minimum Wage Act, though we acknowledge that the President mentioned five years or less. We also agreed that inflation should be pegged at a level for a certain amount to be agreed as minimum wage. This is to bring clarity to what the report should contain.
“Once again, we reiterate that it will be extremely difficult for Nigerian workers to accept any national minimum wage figure that approximates to a starvation wage. We cannot be working, yet remain in abject poverty. We seek justice, equity, and fairness for all Nigerians, and this we hope would also drive the actions of Mr. President who promised a living wage to Nigerian workers. This is an opportunity to show that he listens to Nigerians as he promised.”
The Congress reiterated its commitment to equity and fairness for all Nigerians, urging Tinubu to uphold his promise of a living wage and build a sustainable democracy that benefits the majority.
