The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected any proposal to impose tax on the national minimum wage.
The congress also insisted on urgent adoption of a living wage for Nigerian workers.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this to journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing 114th Session of the International Labour Conference(ILC) on Tuesday in Geneva Switzerland.
Ajaero said organised labour would resist any attempt to tax minimum wage earners and described such policy direction as “unjust and insensitive” to prevailing economic hardship across the country.
“We reject outright any attempt to tax the minimum wage or place levies on poor Nigerian workers,” Ajaero said .
He said the current wage structure no longer reflects Nigeria’s economic realities, adding that inflation, rising food prices and transport costs have worsened the living conditions of workers nationwide.
Ajaero said organised labour would soon commence fresh negotiations for a new minimum wage.
He revealed that the process would begin by July 2026 to avoid past delays and administrative bottlenecks.
“As soon as we leave here, we shall write again to government, demanding commencement of the process for renegotiating the National Minimum Wage,” the NLC President stated.
(Ripples)
