Sunny Onuesoke, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant, has criticized the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for their approach to minimum wage negotiations. Speaking during the Democracy Day celebration in Asaba, Onuesoke condemned what he termed the “reckless agitation” by the unions, claiming their demands were self-serving and detrimental to the broader Nigerian population.
Onuesoke argued that the unions’ focus on wage increases for government employees overlooks the majority of Nigerians who are not on the government payroll, such as private sector workers, traders, artisans, and rural residents. He emphasized that these groups constitute the largest segment of the workforce and would suffer from the inflationary pressures caused by wage increases.
He called on the labour unions to shift their focus from wage hikes to pressing the federal government to tackle inflation and reduce the cost of goods and services. Onuesoke criticized the unions for acting similarly to political leaders by prioritizing their own interests over those of the general populace, which he claimed makes up 95% of the economy and not the civil servants.
Onuesoke stated, “TUC and NLC are selfish. They are agitating for the increment of their wage. What happens to the private sector, the traders, artisans, and even the unemployed Nigerians? Once there is a wage increase, there will be hyperinflation. Instead of agitating for wage increments for themselves, they should push for measures to reduce inflation and lower the prices of goods and services.”