Organized Labour will continue to resist exploitative policies – NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the weekend vowed that it would continue to resist all forms of exploitative policies by the government that threaten the welfare of Nigerian workers, warning against the persistent disregard for labour agreements and the imposition of economic burdens on the citizenry. 
President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, made this declaration in Lagos while addressing delegates at the 6th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN). 
Ajaero lamented what he described as an increasing penchant of the government to disregard commitments made to the labour movement, citing the arbitrary hikes in telecommunications and electricity tariffs, as well as the failure to engage in meaningful social dialogue on critical economic policies. According to him, these actions constitute direct attacks on workers and undermine the collective bargaining process.
“The increasing penchant of the government to renege on agreements reached with the trade union movement is a cause for grave concern. 
“We have seen this in the arbitrary increases in telecom tariffs, the unjust hikes in electricity tariffs, and the refusal to engage in meaningful social dialogue. These actions are not just attacks on workers; they are attacks on the very fabric of our society,” Ajaero lamented.
He emphasized that the NLC and the broader labour movement would not stand idle while policies that impoverish workers and their families are implemented, insisting that the economic well-being of Nigerian workers must take precedence over profit-driven policies that favour only the wealthy elite and corporate interests.
“We must also resist the attempt to tax the Nigerian people to death. At a time when the National Minimum Wage is not being implemented appropriately, and federal civil servants are having their salaries arbitrarily reduced without recourse to negotiation, we cannot remain silent. These actions are not just unjust; they are a betrayal of the social contract between the government and the people,” he said. 
Ajaero further argued that fair wages and improved working conditions were fundamental to national economic growth, dismissing the idea that suppressing workers’ incomes would lead to stability. 
He called on government officials to understand the long-term economic benefits of ensuring workers are adequately remunerated. 
“It is our collective responsibility to fight these ills and to ensure that the rights of Nigerian workers are protected,” the NLC president said adding that “That is why we must continue talking so that the eyes of those who occupy various corridors of power will be open while in office, so that they will see that when workers are paid appropriate wages, the economy benefits and the nation grows, not when they leave office”.
Beyond economic exploitation, the NLC president also raised concerns about threats to Nigeria’s democratic institutions and governance structures. 
He warned against the concentration of power in the hands of a few, cautioning that such tendencies erode constitutional order and the sovereignty of the people. 
“As patriots, we must resist the concentration of power in the hands of a few and the systematic subversion of constitutional order by those entrusted with governance. 
“The democratic space must not be surrendered to authoritarian impulses, and accountability in governance can only be achieved through active and organized vigilance,” Ajaero insisted.
He reiterated the NLC’s commitment to holding public officials accountable and ensuring that the interests of workers and the masses remain at the center of national governance. He urged political actors to operate within democratic principles, emphasizing that dictatorship in any form is unacceptable.
“Dictatorship in any form is unacceptable. We demand that political actors operate within the democratic framework, respecting constitutional limits and prioritizing the interests of the working class and the masses.
The NLC President maintained that it is only through such principled governance that the nation can be steered away from crisis and placed on the path of justice, equality, and true democracy.
While commending the outgoing leadership of the MWUN under Prince Adewale Adeyanju, Ajaero expressed confidence in the union’s ability to elect leaders who would sustain the struggle for workers’ rights and welfare. 
He described Adeyanju, who also serves as Deputy President of the NLC, as an exemplary leader who has significantly strengthened the maritime union over the past eight years.
He urged the union members to elect a leadership that would continue to defend workers’ interests and advance the progress made under Adeyanju’s tenure. 
He reaffirmed the NLC’s support for the MWUN, stressing the importance of unity within the labour movement in tackling economic and governance challenges. 
“The eyes of the working class are upon you. The future of the MWUN and the broader labour movement depends on the decisions you make today. Let us ensure that those decisions are guided by the principles of justice, fairness, and the collective good,” he charged the delegates.