By Divine Sam
Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), explained the rationale behind accepting a N70,000 minimum wage during negotiations with President Bola Tinubu. He stated that organized labor initially demanded a N250,000 wage but faced a stalemate at N62,000, with state representatives unwilling to agree to higher amounts.
During the talks, Ajaero revealed that President Tinubu proposed linking the minimum wage to potential increases in petroleum prices. The President suggested that if labor accepted a price hike, he would grant the higher wage. However, the labor representatives refused to negotiate on fuel prices, emphasizing their sole focus on the minimum wage.
After deliberation, labor agreed to the N70,000 figure, despite earlier demands. Ajaero expressed concerns over the government’s handling of fuel price increases and the high costs associated with converting vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), ultimately highlighting a sense of disappointment in the government’s approach to the negotiations.