The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, said the Federal Government has not matched its public promises with a firm commitment to negotiate in good faith with Labour in ways to ameliorate the plights of workers as a result of the removal of subsidies from fuel.
In a statement released by the NLC president to the press, Ajaero said Labour is worried by comments made by President Bola Tinubu in his speech to the nation, lavishly praising the private sector for quickly dispensing wage increments to its employees, whereas the government has failed to do the same for public workers, describing it as the government failing woefully to live up to standards it has set for others to meet.
The NLC boss berated the comment of the president that a minimum wage review was imminent, saying such a speech was needless as it is open knowledge that the review of the current wages of workers would commence in 2024 as stipulated by law, adding that the government has failed to show cooperation and dialogue with members of organised labour.
Ajaero described the current realities faced by workers as ‘incredible’ and questioned how Nigerian workers would cope with the “hyperinflation and suffering unleashed by the hasty removal of the so-called petrol subsidy till 2024, when the national minimum wage would be reviewed”.
On negotiation, he said organised labour has been forced to negotiate with empty chairs on the government side, stressing further that the sub-committee on wages from both sides has not been inaugurated, let alone met to talk about wage increments with workers.