The Nigeria Labour Congress has called on the Federal Government to urgently address workers’ wages and review regressive tax policies, warning that continued delays and uneven compliance could deepen economic hardship for millions of Nigerians.
The appeal was made on Wednesday by the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, during the 85th birthday celebration and book launch of the union’s founding President, Hassan Summonu, OON, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Auditorium in Abuja.
Speaking to a gathering that included family members, government officials, and members of the press, Ajaero described Summonu as a titan of the working-class struggle, whose life and work have inspired generations of Nigerian workers.
He highlighted the message of Summonu’s memoir, Organise, Don’t Agonise, as a guiding principle for the labour movement.
This is not just a title; it is the militant creed that has defined Comrade Summonu’s journey and the very soul of our movement,” Ajaero said. “From the shop floors and factories to the corridors of pan-African power, he taught us that the power of the people, when organised, is the ultimate answer to agony imposed by exploitation and poor governance.”
He recalled last year’s inauguration of the Hassan Summonu Centre for Leadership and Governance in Lagos, which he said reaffirmed the union’s commitment to honouring the legacy of the founding president. “Honouring Comrade Summonu is honouring the collective struggle of the Nigerian working class,” he said.
Ajaero also addressed the implementation of Nigeria’s new National Minimum Wage, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, which raised the monthly wage from N30,000 to N70,000. He noted that implementation remains uneven, with many state governments, private sector employers, and parastatals slow to comply due to financial constraints and high inflation.
He added that the NLC is monitoring violations and will take renewed enforcement actions and legal steps, warning that continued delays threaten workers’ welfare amid rising living costs. Federal authorities have issued mandates for private sector compliance, including penalties such as jail time, though unions report that many workers still earn below the N70,000 minimum.
Ajaero also criticised recent tax laws, describing them as regressive and unfairly burdening workers and the poor. “The tax laws went through a process that clearly excluded Nigerian workers and the masses, who are the major taxpayers in Nigeria. Our warnings were ignored, and the result is laws that make workers and the poor poorer,” he said.
He further called for the immediate constitution of the PENCOM Board, warning that delays and public grandstanding undermine governance and democracy. “Continuing along this path seriously undermines tax administration and the rule of law,” he said.
The NLC president urged the government to engage sincerely with organised labour on policy making, stressing, “Policies from fuel pricing to taxation, from wages to social services must be crafted with the active and respected input of those who represent workers and the broader masses. Sideline the organised voice of labour, and you design policies on shaky, exclusionary foundations, destined to generate crisis and agony.”
The event also celebrated Summonu’s 85 years of life and enduring contributions to labour activism, highlighting the impact of his philosophy on the current generation of union leaders.
“As we launch his book today, we pledge to keep its central message alive,” Ajaero said. “We will continue to organise. We will continue to challenge power. We will continue to fight for a Nigeria where no worker has to agonise over poverty, insecurity, heavy taxation, or a stolen future riddled with national debt.”
He concluded by urging both government and citizens to honour Summonu’s legacy through collective action and engagement.
“Let this celebration of a life spent organising inspire a new chapter. Let the government move from agonising the people to organising with them. Let us build a democracy that delivers not just political freedom but economic liberation, where the wealth of the nation serves the welfare of its people.
