The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed disappointment following President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech, where he assured a new minimum wage for workers but failed to deliver the expected announcement on June 12.
During his second Democracy Day address on June 12, 2024, President Bola Tinubu announced that an executive bill for a new national minimum wage would soon be submitted to the National Assembly.
He also said that his administration decided to negotiate with organised labour despite their decision to embark on an indefinite strike because their primary focus is giving the people the right to air their grievances, not to lead them authoritatively.
According to Tinubu, instead of clamping down on the workers after they shut down the country for two days, they invited the union leaders “to break bread” and discuss the reasons for the strike to amicably resolve the controversy.
Reacting to the speech, NLC President Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju said that while President Tinubu accurately recounted parts of Nigeria’s democratic journey, he seemed misinformed about the outcome of the wage negotiation process.
“We expected the President to harmonise the two figures submitted to him by the Tripartite Committee in favour of workers and the masses. This would have been a fitting Democracy Day gift,” Adeyanju said.
He further noted that the NLC appreciates the President’s commitment to democratic ideals, which allowed the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to proceed unhindered despite some challenges.
However, Adeyanju clarified that no agreement had been reached with the federal government and employers on the base figure for a national minimum wage or its other components.
“Our demand still remains N250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand Naira) only and we have not been given any compelling reasons to change this position which we consider a great concession by Nigerian workers during the tripartite negotiation process,” he stated.
Adeyanju expressed surprise at President Tinubu’s claim of a supposed agreement, adding that the president may have been misled.
“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.”
The NLC President also added that trade union leaders were intimidated and harassed by government operatives.
He urged President Tinubu to ensure that the Tripartite Committee’s report reflects the true demands of Nigerian workers and to demonstrate his commitment to lifting Nigerian workers out of poverty.
