- The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) urged the Federal Government to withdraw contentious tax reform bills to foster dialogue and consensus
- NLC President Joe Ajaero emphasized the need for a wage review to protect workers’ welfare amid economic challenges in 2025
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to withdraw contentious tax reform bills before the National Assembly.
In his New Year message titled “In 2025, Hope is in Our Collective Resolve,” NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero outlined the union’s stance.
He stressed that withdrawing the bills would allow meaningful dialogue with key stakeholders and foster broader consensus.
Ajaero announced that the issue would take centre stage at the NLC’s upcoming national dialogue in Ibadan, Oyo State.
He explained that the platform aims to co-create a new tax system that aligns with national development goals while ensuring broader public acceptance.
Highlighting workers’ economic challenges due to recent policies, Ajaero said the NLC would push for a wage review to protect workers’ welfare.
He also urged the government to honour agreements with trade unions and prioritize industrial harmony in 2025 through improved social dialogue.
“The growing use of violence against workers and unions must stop. It only breeds industrial unrest,” Ajaero warned.
He reaffirmed the NLC’s commitment to collaborating with the government while advocating for workers’ rights and citizens’ welfare.
He also emphasized the union’s expectation that all levels of government comply with the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act starting this year.
The message read in parts:
‘’The challenges of survival we have faced as a people must not hold us down. Instead, let us find inner strength to build a collective resolve to drive Nigeria out of the morass of underdevelopment that has held it captive for far too long.
“No external power will deliver us from economic hardship and stagnation. Only through our collective effort and determination can we propel our nation forward.
“We must build inner strength to find this collective resolve across the length and breadth of our great nation. This is our civic responsibility—one we must embrace with unwavering determination.
“We call on the government at all levels to ensure that governance translates into real benefits for the people. The welfare of the citizens remains the primary justification for the existence of any government.
“Access to food and nutrition, better healthcare, quality housing, education, transportation and greater security of lives and properties, including the right to participate in decisions on how they are ruled, are the people’s and workers’ key expectations.
“Policies must, therefore, reflect transparency, honesty, and inclusivity, devoid of chicanery, nepotism, and strong-arm tactics.
“To create a thriving, democratic nation, we need a system built on the tenets of social dialogue, allowing critical stakeholders to participate actively in nation-building. Such inclusiveness will foster deeper ownership of government policies, ensuring stability and sustainability.”