President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has presented a controversial condition for increasing the minimum wage to N250,000.
During a recent meeting, President Tinubu offered to meet the Labour demand for a higher minimum wage but attached the stipulation of a corresponding increase in the pump price of petrol.
Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), revealed that Tinubu’s proposal included raising the minimum wage to N250,000, provided that there would be an adjustment in the petrol pump price.
This proposal, according to Ajaero, was met with strong opposition from the Labour representatives. They argued that the condition was too harsh and would exacerbate the existing economic difficulties faced by Nigerians.
Ajaero stated, “Accepting N70,000 was the best way to make sure that we save Nigerians from further hardship. At the last meeting, the President brought a proposal that ‘I will give you guys N250,000 if you allow me to equally increase the pump price of petroleum products’ and we said no that we need to go and consult.”
He added, “Today, we went there to tell him ‘no’ and that the labour movement can make sacrifices without allowing Nigerians to suffer further on the increase of pump price of petroleum products.”