Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has revealed the reasons behind the labour union’s decision to accept the N70,000 minimum wage offer during negotiations at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show, Ajaero disclosed that organized labour initially pushed for a N250,000 minimum wage but eventually agreed to the lower figure after rejecting the government’s proposal to further hike fuel prices.
Ajaero explained that President Bola Tinubu hinted at raising petrol prices during the meeting, suggesting that labour unions should allow for the increase in exchange for a higher minimum wage. Labour, however, stood firm, stating they were only there to discuss the wage increase, not fuel prices. The NLC boss shared that Tinubu offered to sponsor a trip for labour leaders to observe fuel prices in other West African countries, which labour rejected outright.
The NLC also raised concerns over the government’s reluctance to endorse the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative, with officials quoting an exorbitant cost of N800,000 for vehicle conversion, which further complicated negotiations.
Ultimately, labour accepted the N70,000 minimum wage, emphasizing that their primary focus was workers’ welfare, not agreeing to further fuel price hikes.
