The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has dismissed allegations made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing the union’s leadership of ineffective negotiation tactics and compromising on the issue of the national minimum wage.
Addressing the criticism, the NLC acknowledged that the recently approved N70,000 minimum wage is insufficient and fails to reflect the harsh economic conditions confronting Nigerian workers.
However, the union insisted that the blame should be placed on the federal government and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) for enforcing a wage that does not meet workers’ needs.
The former president’s remarks, made in his latest book, Nigeria: Past and Future, accused labour leaders of not adequately fighting for a fair minimum wage. Obasanjo argued that the current wage structure doesn’t even cover basic transportation expenses for many workers, let alone fundamental needs such as food, housing, and supporting their families.
NLC President Joe Ajaero responded in a statement stressing that the union made sincere efforts to negotiate a fair wage, despite what he described as “arm-twisting tactics” by the government during the negotiation process.
“We appreciate having an ally as distinguished as our former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who reiterated our position by highlighting that the minimum wage is inadequate to cover transportation, let alone essential living expenses,” Ajaero stated.
Ajaero further explained that the NLC had originally proposed a minimum wage of N610,000, supported by a detailed breakdown of living costs. However, the government and NECA countered with a meager offer of N50,000, without providing any justification for how the amount would cater to workers’ needs.
The union leader noted that the disagreement resulted in a deadlock and led to a strike, which was only suspended after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened, offering N70,000—slightly higher than the figure recommended by the Minimum Wage Committee.
