N70,000 minimum wage: How Tinubu betrayed labour using fuel price – NLC

According to the Nigeria Labour Congress, President Bola Tinubu betrayed organised labour on Thursday by using the price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as fuel, as an enticement.

According to organised labour, President Tinubu gave them the choice not to raise the price of petrol during the negotiations that resulted in their acceptance of N70,000.

This was said by NLC President Joe Ajaero at the commencement of the "Minimum Wage Implementation Workshop, Southern Zone," a two-day training held in Lagos.

Ajaero claimed that accusations of "cybercrime, financing terrorism, sponsoring terrorism and the rest" were attempts to divert the labour movement's focus.

Ajaero urged the government to act quickly to address the critical problems of hunger, poverty, and discontent plaguing Nigerians, pointing out that the benefits of the national minimum wage of N70,000 have been negated by the present cost of petrol.

Prior to the N70,000 minimum wage being accepted, Ajaero recalled speaking with President Tinubu. According to Ajaero, Tinubu gave the choice to accept the N70,000 wage without any additional increases in gasoline costs.

Alternatively, he continued, the president had offered them the option of accepting a pay rise to N250,000 or a rise in the price of fuel at the pump.
According to Ajaero, the labour movement chose N70,000 because of the hardship that continued increases in fuel prices would cause for the general public if labourers settled for a wage of N250,000.
"There is a strategy to divert our focus, disparage us, and make accusations against us on cybercrime, funding terrorism, supporting terrorism, and other things.

"Those actions have paid off because the pump price issue has persisted even as we deal with those accusations.

"I reiterate: Mr. President deceived us. Government authorities are disputing the statement we released expressing our betrayal. I'll say it again: we were duped. Ajaero, you are the problem, Mr. President said to all of you present at the meeting.

President Tinubu was quoted by Ajaero as saying, "Since we said subsidy is gone." You do not wish to permit us to grow once more. Let me to add more, and together we will pay you that N250, 000.”
"The president said, 'I'm giving you an hour to decide on this and get back to me,'" he continued. He stated that we should make a decision regarding the N250,000 minimum salary and the increase in petrol prices before he returns to his office.

"We declined, sir. This cannot be where we hold our meeting, Mr. President. Allow us to take a week off before we return and update you.

"All right, I'm travelling, but I'm going to postpone it for a week," he added. We adjourned for one week in this manner.

We adjourned for one week, if you were following the negotiations' general direction. And upon our return from talks, we told Mr. President, "No, we cannot permit you to extend in any way, as that will impact all Nigerians and portray us as self-centred."

"Not even the N250,000 will help us. Our economy would become unstable if we keep raising salaries, which will lead to more increases in the price of petrol. Indeed, that N250,000 might not even be sufficient to purchase petrol.

The President also offered to pay for our tour of other West African nations, where the lowest priced petrol is sold for N1,700, the speaker continued. Even in Cameroon, he remarked, they are selling N2,000 and that none of them has a refinery but they are getting their products from Nigeria.
In response, we advised him to inspect the borders because that is the reason the goods are being smuggled into those nations. We also declined since we knew Nigerians would claim to have given us money rather than that it was money to travel to those West African republics.

According to Ajaero, they "went there and told Mr. President, we are not here for increase in pump price or negotiation" on the date of the adjournment. Thus, let us focus on the minimum wage. several of these factors influenced the decision to accept the N70,000 minimum pay, which several of us in attendance felt was insufficient. However, others continue to claim that they are unable to pay that N70,000.

This is the conundrum that we are all dealing with. The employers from the private sector that attended our meeting really treated us poorly. They refused to change, preferring to cast their votes with the federal government, state governments, and business sector on the one side and labour on the other. Some of these factors led to the numerous walkouts that you observed.