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.
The NLC expressed disappointment, saying the President failed to deliver the expected gift on June 12.
Acting President of the NLC, Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju, stated that while the President recounted parts of Nigeria’s democratic journey, he seemed misinformed about the outcome of the wage negotiation process. Adeyanju emphasized that the NLC expected the President to harmonize the two figures submitted by the Tripartite Committee in favor of workers and the masses, which would have been a fitting Democracy Day gift.
Quoting President Tinubu, Adeyanju said, “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. In the face of labour’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 labour leadership was invited to break bread and negotiate toward a good-faith resolution.”
Adeyanju acknowledged the President’s commitment to democratic ideals, which allowed the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to proceed despite some hiccups. He stated that labor had hoped President Tinubu, having been part of the struggle to rescue Nigeria from military rule, would harmonize the figures submitted by the Tripartite Committee in favor of the workers and masses.
According to Adeyanju, the NLC expected the President’s advisers to inform him that no agreement was reached with the federal government and employers on the base figure for a National Minimum Wage or its components.
He reiterated that the NLC’s demand remains N250,000 and no compelling reasons have been provided to change this position, which was a significant concession by Nigerian workers during the 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,” Adeyanju said.
He reaffirmed the belief that the President would prepare an Executive Bill reflecting the true demands of Nigerian workers. He urged the President to demonstrate his commitment to Nigerian workers and masses by ignoring advice from individuals intent on harming the poor and struggling workers of Nigeria.
“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,” Adeyanju added.
Adeyanju also highlighted media propaganda aimed at intimidating the trade unions and instances where armed soldiers surrounded the union during negotiations with the government. Despite these challenges, he expressed hope that the President’s democratic credentials would favour Nigerian workers and masses.
He emphasized that the President should be aware that some officers are attempting to undermine the leadership of the NLC and trade unions. He clarified that there was no agreement on a five-year duration for the minimum wage act and stressed the need for a minimum wage that accounts for inflation.
“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 and 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!”
He concluded by emphasizing the need for a stronger democratic nation based on equity, ensuring prosperity for the majority and not a few monopolizing collective resources. This, he stated, is the only way to build a sustainable democracy and the true democracy that Nigerians yearn for.
