Organised Labour, through the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has disputed President Bola Tinubu’s claim of reaching an agreement on a new national minimum wage. NLC Acting President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, clarified that the negotiations concluded on June 7 did not result in a consensus.
Adeyanju stated that the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage proposed two different figures: ₦250,000 from Organised Labour and ₦62,000 from the government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS). He reiterated Labour’s stance on a ₦250,000 minimum wage, rejecting any figure that would result in a “starvation wage.”
“The huge resources used to run our democracy prevent ordinary Nigerians from benefiting from the system,” Adeyanju said. He emphasized that democracy should serve the majority, not just a privileged few. The NLC urged President Tinubu to ensure political offices are less attractive, promoting leadership focused on genuine public service.
The NLC’s statement follows President Tinubu’s Democracy Day broadcast, where he mentioned an alleged agreement on the new minimum wage and plans to submit an executive bill to the National Assembly. The NLC contended that no such agreement was reached and expressed surprise at the President’s assertion, suggesting he may have been misled. They also highlighted incidents of intimidation and harassment during negotiations, which contradict the President’s claims of cooperative dialogue.