Minimum Wage: “Tinubu Betrayed Us With New Fuel Price Hike,” NLC President Ajaero Alleges

Minimum Wage: “Tinubu Betrayed Us With New Fuel Price Hike,” NLC President Ajaero Alleges

  • The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress has expressed regret for accepting the N70,000 minimum wage
  • At a recent event in Lagos state, Joe Ajaero lamented that the N70,000 wage has been rendered useless as petrol prices skyrocket and economic hardship persists
  • The NLC president also lamented that Tinubu betrayed organised labour by increasing fuel prices immediately after signing the new minimum wage bill into law

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said that the NLC will meet with the federal government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss how workers could survive the recent hike in the petrol pump price.

Fuel price hike: NLC says Tinubu betrayed labour into accepting N70k wage
NLC says Tinubu tricked organised labour into accepting N70,000 minimum wage. Photo credit: Nigeria Labour Congress HQ, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Source: Facebook

N70k minimum wage: Labour laments fuel price hike

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South west pensioners reject N70,000 minimum wage, tell NLC what to do

According to the NLC leader, the sudden increase in the price of petrol has eroded the gains of the yet-to-be-implemented N70,000 new national minimum wage.

Ajaero, who disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop in Lagos, insisted that organised labour was deceived by President Tinubu into accepting the N70,000 minimum wage to forestall petrol price increase.

As reported by Vanguard, he advised the government to address the excruciating hunger, poverty and frustration of Nigerians before things got out of hand, lamenting that Nigerians were really suffering.

While giving insight into the conversations with President Tinubu before the N70,000 minimum wage was agreed on, the NLC president lamented that Nigerians appeared to have started adjusting to the situation on ground because the government had been distracting organized labour.

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New minimum wage law: FG warns private sector against paying below N70k, enforces strict penalty

“There is a tactic to distract our attention, to call us names, level allegations against us over cybercrime, financing terrorism, sponsoring terrorism and the rest.
“Those things have paid off because while we are facing those allegations, this issue of pump price has remained.
“I repeat, we were betrayed by Mr President, That statement we issued over our being betrayed is being denied by officials of the government. I am repeating it that we were betrayed. Some of you here were at the meeting when Mr President said, Ajaero you are the problem.”

Read more about new minimum wage here:

Minimum wage: FG warns private sector against paying below N70k

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government has mandated a new minimum wage for the private sector.

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BREAKING: Tinubu's govt speaks on new minimum wage template, details emerge

This directive, aimed at addressing the nation's economic challenges, was highlighted at a recent meeting in Lagos.

The government has warned that non-compliance with the N70,000 minimum wage could result in severe penalties, including jail term for employers.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from NIJ, where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.