The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has responded to President Bola Tinubu's Democracy Day speech, where he promised a new minimum wage for the workforce. Acting NLC President Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju expressed disappointment, noting that the President's assurances fell short of the workers' expectations for a substantial Democracy Day gift on June 12.
Adeyanju acknowledged that while President Tinubu accurately recounted parts of Nigeria’s democratic history, he appeared misinformed about the outcome of the wage negotiation process. The NLC had anticipated that the President would reconcile the figures submitted by the Tripartite Committee in favor of the workers, which would have been a fitting gesture for Democracy Day.
In his speech, President Tinubu stated: “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 labour 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.”
Adeyanju, however, pointed out that the NLC had not reached an agreement with the federal government and employers on the base figure for the National Minimum Wage. Their demand remains N250,000, and they have not received any compelling reason to change this position. He suggested that the President might have been misled into believing an agreement had been reached.
"We believe the President may have been misled into thinking there was an agreement with the NLC and TUC. There was none, and it is crucial to clarify this to avoid confusion in the ongoing discussions about the national minimum wage," Adeyanju stated.
Adeyanju also highlighted the pressures and intimidations faced by union leaders during negotiations, contradicting the President’s assertion that there was no oppression or crackdown on workers. Despite these challenges, he remains hopeful that President Tinubu will uphold his democratic credentials in favor of Nigerian workers.
Furthermore, Adeyanju emphasized that the NLC had not agreed on a five-year duration for the minimum wage act, despite the President mentioning it. They had also proposed that inflation be pegged at a level to determine the minimum wage amount.
In closing, Adeyanju reiterated the NLC’s stance: "It will be extremely difficult for Nigerian workers to accept any national minimum wage figure that approximates a starvation wage. We seek justice, equity, and fairness for all Nigerians, and we hope this will drive the actions of Mr. President who promised a living wage to Nigerian workers."
He called on President Tinubu to demonstrate his commitment to lifting Nigerian workers out of poverty by disregarding advice from those with intentions to harm the poor and struggling workers. Adeyanju concluded with a vision of a stronger democratic nation based on equity, ensuring prosperity for the majority rather than a few monopolizing collective resources.
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