Nigeria Labour Congress prepares for 'battle' over new minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is mobilizing its affiliates and workers nationwide for an intense struggle to establish a new national minimum wage. NLC President Joe Ajaero declared the current N70,000 minimum wage "poverty pay," stating it is no longer adequate to support Nigerian workers amidst soaring living costs.

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The battle for a living wage will soon begin in earnest.

Speaking at the NLC Rain School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Ajaero announced that organized labor is gearing up for wage negotiations. He stressed that workers must approach these talks from a position of strength, not weakness, and demand a wage that truly reflects a living wage, one that allows families to live with dignity. "We must gird our loins for this struggle," he urged, vowing to resist austerity rhetoric from those in "obscene opulence."

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Let us be clear: the paltry sum that currently passes for a minimum wage is no longer sustainable. It is a poverty wage.

Ajaero also highlighted Nigeria's poor standing in workers' rights, noting it is listed among the ten worst countries globally for such violations. He criticized the suppression of organizing, collective bargaining, and strike rights. The NLC is also pressuring the Federal Government to submit the tripartite-reviewed Labor Bills to the National Assembly, criticizing the six-year delay as a strategy to maintain exploitation. Ajaero asserted that modern labor legislation is essential for protecting workers' rights.

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We must not approach the negotiating table with a begging bowl. We must go as a class that understands its power.