Our fight not about wages but economy that works for every Nigerian — Ajaero

…Reforms must have a human face – Odubayo

Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said that organised labour’s unrelenting fight was not just about a living wage but also about ensuring an economy that works for every Nigerian, irrespective of class and status.

According to Ajaero, the economic quagmire confronting Africa’s populous nation results from poorly thought-out policies, many of which need urgent review given the hardships unleashed on the citizens.

Ajaero spoke at a one-day workshop organised by the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria (LAWAN) in Lagos on Thursday. He lamented how spiralling inflation had already wiped out the recently negotiated national minimum wage of N70,000, even though implementation has yet to commence.

Read also: Petrol price hike: NLC cries foul, threatens strike

“The hike in the price of petrol, the devaluation of the naira, and the unrelenting increases in electricity tariffs have compounded the hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians”, Ajaero said.

Represented by Adewale Adeyanju, deputy president of the NLC and president-general of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Ajaero said the organised labour would continue the struggle against what he described as “retrogressive forces” in the country.

“Our fight is not just about wages. It is about securing a future where every Nigerian can live a life of dignity and have access to opportunities. It is about creating an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. It is about holding our leaders accountable and ensuring that they use their positions to serve the people, not their interests.”

The NLC president noted that unchecked corruption and fiscal indiscipline have paved the way for an ostentatious lifestyle among political officeholders, with little regard for the suffering masses.

“The impact of these policies on the everyday lives of Nigerian workers and their families has been nothing short of devastating. The hike in petrol prices has led to an astronomical increase in transportation and food costs, which has, in turn, strained household budgets beyond breaking point.”

Ajaero, therefore, urged the Nigerian public to be a part of the struggle to end what he called, “The lavish lifestyles of political officeholders, which “stand in stark contrast to the daily struggles of the average Nigerian worker, creating a chasm of inequality that undermines the very fabric of our society.”

“Let us remember that the challenges we face are not insurmountable. Together, we can build an economy that is inclusive and sustainable. Together, we can ensure that the rights of workers are respected and that every Nigerian has the opportunity to lead a decent life” he said.

Wole Odubayo, human resources director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and guest speaker at the workshop, decried Nigeria’s over-reliance on oil, a situation he said, has made the economy vulnerable, compelling the government to tinker with various reforms to stabilise the economy.

Odubayo, who spoke on the theme of the workshop, “Challenges of the nation’s economic downturn: Survival options for workers”, noted that while reforms were inevitable in Nigeria’s current circumstance, such reforms must, however, have a human face, “so that the pain does not outweigh the gains.”

Read also: NLC President Joe Ajaero appears before Police IRT in Abuja

Also, Festus Osifo, president of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), expressed concern over the continued crude oil theft in the Niger Delta despite the heavy presence of security personnel drawn from the military and the civil defence.

Represented by Lumumgba Okugbawa, secretary-general, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Osifo tasked the Federal Government to go beyond destroying illegal refining sites in Niger Delta creeks, to arresting big merchants loading stolen crude into big vessels and sailing off Nigerian waters.