NLC restates N250,000 as minimum wage at NECA AGM, calls for improved collaboration
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) to support its proposal of N250,000 as minimum wage.
In a goodwill message to the association on Tuesday on her 67th annual general meeting in Lagos, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said NECA should work with the NLC as partners in the business of co-creation.
Ajaero said, “We have advocated from the beginning of our engagement on the National Minimum Wage fixing exercise for the need to put more money in the hands of workers. We made this case on the understanding that it will help our businesses and rev up the economy. We had strongly believed that your organization would have been one with us and would have seen that we are actually making a great case for the survival of your businesses. We do not have any interest in crippling our businesses because you cannot cut your nose to spite your face.
“It is on this premise that we urge members of NECA to join us in the quest for a National Minimum Wage that will eliminate deep poverty from the lives of workers; wages that will not increase the number of the working poor and amount to a starvation wage for Nigerian workers is what we should all push for. The only way to break the present consumer resistance is to increase the wages of workers and that speaks to the policy of government that seeks to reflate the economy. It is not by giving handouts or reducing Nigerians to beggars who must queue at the various charity parks before they can eat. We must join hands to stop this collective slide into the pit. We must save our businesses by saving workers. N250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand naira) as national minimum wage is already a steep consideration by Nigerian workers.”
Ajaero said the payment of fair and equitable wages is crucial in maintaining a motivated and productive workforce.
He said fair wages are not just a matter of social justice but are instrumental in boosting worker productivity.
According to him, enhanced purchasing power among workers will lead to increased consumption, thereby addressing the concerns of rising inventories in warehouses.
The NLC leader said he believes businesses will grow if workers are treated better, adding that employees and employers must build an environment of cooperation and productivity.
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He said, “One of the pillars of a thriving industrial relations framework is the assurance of safety and health in our workplaces. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every worker returns home safely at the end of each workday. By prioritizing workplace safety and health, we not only protect our most valuable assets—our workers—but also enhance productivity and operational efficiency.
“We cannot afford the repeat of the unfortunate Ikorodu fire incident where 55 Nigerian workers were roasted in fire. We have to take serious measures to avert the various mounting injuries in our workplaces. Our members do not want to go to work to die. We want to leave our places of work better than we came. We are sure that we are all committed to ensuring that this happens. Safety in the place of work is safety for all including the owner of the business and those who run it.
“The struggle for more Decent work compliant workplaces is truly the struggle to secure the investments in various businesses by our employers. It is not a struggle solely for workers but for your members. We are completely assured that we are on the same page on this. We should therefore be on the same page in other issues. It is important that we therefore thread cautiously to avoid being seen as joining politicians to undermine the interest of workers.”
The NLC president said workers and employers must collectively denounce the use of violence and intimidation in workplace engagements, noting that peaceful and respectful dialogue is the cornerstone of resolving disputes and fostering a conducive working environment.
“The NLC once again extends her hands of fellowship to you and call for a closer walk with you so that we can continue to work together. It is important to allow the nation’s resources to be distributed in such a way that our nation grows sustainably. You can all lead the charge for a better Nigeria by taking a decision here today that would shock others into recreating a nation that would serve the majority. Let the liberation of our nation start from our various workplaces,” he added.
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