President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has raised alarm over the poor implementation of the new ₦70,000 minimum wage, accusing some state governments of merely increasing workers’ salaries by ₦5,000 without proper adjustments.
Speaking at the 6th National Gender Conference organised by the NLC National Women’s Commission in Abuja, Ajaero criticised governors for what he described as insincerity and disregard for workers’ welfare.
He said the effects of inflation and excessive taxation have eroded the value of wages, leaving workers in a precarious position. “This has exposed us to all sorts of danger. If you’re a serious worker who reports to duty 20 to 24 days a month, ₦70,000 won’t last,” he said.
Ajaero questioned why states failed to follow through on the agreed minimum wage reforms, particularly the consequential adjustments that were meant to reflect broader salary structure changes.
“The issue of implementing the minimum wage is one of the worst injustices I’ve seen,” he said. “In some states, workers just saw a ₦5,000 increase—how does that address the cost of living or honour the agreement reached after last year’s strikes?”
He also decried the lack of dialogue between the NLC and state governments during the implementation process, saying: “At the level of consequential adjustment, the NLC was not consulted. It’s difficult to understand why workers are being shortchanged.”
Also speaking at the conference, Chairperson of the NLC Women’s Commission, Salamatu Aliu, drew attention to continued gender-based discrimination and abuse in workplaces across the country, calling for urgent reforms to protect women and promote equality.
Leave a Reply