What President Tinubu Told Me On Minimum Wage, Fuel Price Increase – NLC President, Ajaero Speaks

On Friday, Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), explained that during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa regarding the new minimum wage, organized labor rejected the proposal to raise petrol pump prices in exchange for accepting N70,000 as the new minimum wage.

Recall that the organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, had insisted on N250,000 as the new minimum wage but later settled for the offer of N70,000 from the President.

Fielding questions during the Morning Show on Arise News on whether the President betrayed the trust of the NLC in the negotiations by increasing the petrol pump price despite the alleged ‘agreement’ with him, the NLC President said: “I have to narrate the scenario to you, and then we now choose the appropriate word, whether betrayed, deceived or whatever. While we were discussing because we stalemated at 62,000 Naira, even the states were saying they won’t pay, so there was a stalemate that took us to Mr. President.

“And we insisted on 250 (Thousand Naira) and Mr President at the meeting, turned to me and said, Ajaero, you are the person holding my hand from increasing further.

“I said increase what? He said, since I said subsidy is gone, we should have gotten the appropriate price. We should have increased. I want to sponsor you people, labour, to travel to these West African countries and know how much they are paying.

“Some are paying 2,000 (Naira), 1,800 (Naira), 1700 (Naira). As he announced it, we declined immediately that we are not going to take that sponsorship.

“He said, okay, I will go to my office for one hour. You guys decide if you agree for me to increase, I will pay you 250 (Thousand Naira), if not, you take this 62 (Thousand Naira). He stood up and we said, Mr. President, no, we can’t sit down here to decide in your office, we will take about one week to go back and discuss and get back to you, which was exactly what happened, ask anybody, and we adjourned for one week.

“He said, oh, I’m supposed to travel, but because of you, I will cancel my trip until after one week, and when we, reconvened, we were clear to Mr. President that we didn’t have any mandate to come here to discuss a price of a petroleum product or increase, we’re only here to discuss minimum wage and minimum wage alone we’re going to discuss. And we agreed on the basis of that we accepted 70,000 (Naira).

Ajaero also said that the organs of the NLC will meet next week to discuss the new pump price increase, adding that no single person in the labour movement can take a decision without the involvement of all the organs.

On why he has not declared a strike after the new price hike, the NLC President said, “No NLC President will come out and say, we are going to start strike tomorrow or next tomorrow without the organs meeting. In instances, either the CWC (Central Working Committee) or the NEC (National Executive Council), so we are following that process.”

Asked whether the Congress has started consultations in-house on that, he said, “By latest next week we should be able to meet and have a conversation around this so that the personal view of the leader (NLC President), does not becloud the position of the of the members.”