Government giving grains to Nigerians as if we are pigeons – NLC President 

The president of the National Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has expressed frustrations over the failure of the government to meet its promises to workers, particularly concerning wage awards and palliatives. 

Ajaero highlighted that despite agreements made, only one month of the promised N35,000 wage awards was disbursed to civil servants, and there is no evidence of the N25,000 palliative payments. He further raised concerns about the lack of distribution of fertilisers to farmers, questioning whether they are even available for cultivation or sale.

Amidst these grievances, Ajaero hinted at the possibility of an escalated demand for a higher minimum wage, suggesting that it could reach as high as N1 million per month if economic indicators worsen.

He emphasised that the current proposal of N200,000 is no longer feasible, citing the steep rise in the cost of living, inflation, and the depreciation of the Naira against the Dollar.

Ajaero made these remarks during an interview on Arise TV yesterday, where he stressed the need for the minimum wage to reflect the country’s economic conditions. He indicated that the demand for a higher salary is inevitable as long as economic challenges persist.

He criticised the government’s decision to reel grains from its reserve to cushion the current hardship. He said, “I feel sad when we talk of the federal government giving people grains as if we are giving grains to pigeons and all these other birds. At this time and age in Nigeria, we are talking about the federal government providing how many tonnes of grains to Nigerians as a measure of stemming the level of hunger and poverty in the country.

“I beg to disagree; that is a serious insult to Nigerians. I think that we should think of something else,” he said.

The NLC president disclosed that organised labour is scheduled to meet with the federal government to address pending issues, including the looming threat of a strike by the NLC and TUC. 

He reiterated the union’s dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to fulfil its commitments and called for swift action to address workers’ grievances.

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