The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), through its President, Joe Ajaero, has offered reasons why it refused the offer of President Bola Tinubu to pay the N250,000 minimum wage it had demanded initially.
Ajaero offered these reasons on a Channels TV Programme titled “Politics Today”
Recall that while the NLC initially demanded N250,000 at the beginning of the negotiations, the Federal Government (FG) offered just N62,000. However, after the meeting with President Bola Tinubu, N70,000 was agreed upon.
Speaking on Thursday, July 18, Ajaero said during their two meetings with Tinubu over the new minimum wage, the President offered to pay them the N250,000 they demanded with a caveat: the price of petrol would be increased.
He said: “Accepting N70,000 was the best way to save Nigerians from further hardship.
“At last week’s meeting, the President brought a proposal: ‘I will give you guys N250,000 if you allow me to equally increase the pump price of petroleum products.’
“And we said: ‘No, we need to go and consult.’
“Today, we went there to tell him: ‘No.’
“The labour movement can make sacrifices without allowing Nigerians to suffer further on the increase in the pump price of petroleum products.”
