NLC to Meet Government Over Rising Petrol Prices Amidst Minimum Wage Concerns
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) announced on Thursday, September 20, that it will engage the federal government to discuss strategies for helping workers cope with the recent surge in petrol prices. This meeting comes in the wake of concerns that the current petrol price hikes have undermined the anticipated benefits of the newly proposed N70,000 national minimum wage.
At the opening of a two-day workshop in Lagos, themed “Strategies for Effective Implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act,” NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed his frustrations over what he described as a betrayal by President Bola Tinubu. Ajaero asserted that the labour movement was misled into accepting the minimum wage proposal with the expectation that it would help mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs.
“We were deceived into believing that accepting the N70,000 minimum wage would prevent further increases in petrol prices,” Ajaero stated. “The reality is that Nigerians are suffering from extreme hunger, poverty, and frustration. The government needs to prioritize addressing these urgent issues before they escalate.”
During his address, Ajaero shared insights from previous negotiations with President Tinubu regarding the minimum wage. He revealed that the discussions included a proposition to increase the minimum wage to N250,000 as a trade-off for accepting rising fuel prices. However, the NLC ultimately rejected this offer, arguing that such an increase would not sufficiently alleviate the burden on Nigerian workers and would further destabilize the economy.
“The president said, ‘Ajaero, you are the problem,’ after we insisted that subsidy removal should not lead to price hikes,” he recalled. “We made it clear that while the proposed N250,000 might seem appealing, it would not even cover the cost of fuel under the current conditions.”
Ajaero also criticized what he perceived as a strategy by the government to distract the labour movement with allegations of cybercrime and terrorism financing, arguing that these distractions have allowed critical issues—like the soaring pump prices—to go unaddressed.
The NLC’s call to action reflects a growing urgency among workers as they face the dual pressures of rising living costs and stagnant wages. Ajaero concluded his remarks by reaffirming the NLC’s commitment to advocate for the rights of Nigerian workers and urged the government to focus on sustainable solutions to the nation’s economic challenges.
