The NLC in its end of year message, demanded the withdrawal of the tax reform bills and a minimum wage review – but it is only robust strike actions by trade unions that will stop the governments’ attacks on workers. The NLC said in the statement from its President, Joe Ajaero:
“We insist that governments at all levels must comply with the provisions of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act. Furthermore, given the economic realities imposed by recent government policies, we shall engage the government for a wage review to safeguard workers’ welfare.”
We need these ideas to be discussed in all our trade union branches with clear demands sent to our national trade unions. All Socialist Labour members and supporters should raise these proposals in their trade union branches and state councils. They should also be raised in local civil society organisations and student union governments.
We support the call by the NLC for the withdrawal of the tax reform bills and for an annual wage review (with indexation to inflation – see: https://tinyurl.com/MinWagIndex ). But we recognise that only robust strike actions will change the direction of the Government’s policies. Tinubu and his Government are class war warriors. Everything they have done so far has made the rich elite richer and the poor majority poorer. We need to ensure that the trade unions adopt the same level of commitment to improving our lives. This is not a government that can be persuaded to change its approach through polite discussion.
The tax system needs to be made more progressive so the rich are taxed more heavily. This can then be used to pay for public health and education for all. The current tax bills will have the opposite effect.
The N70k minimum wage was never acceptable and needs to be reviewed upwards as a matter of urgency. The new minimum wage must be implemented with arrears to be paid from the end of July 2024, when it became law.
We need these issues to be discussed in every trade union branch and state councils to give clear direction to the national unions and the NLC/TUC. We need the rank and file of the NLC/TUC mobilised. We need to demand robust strike actions as the most effective way to change the direction of the Government’s policies. We also need these issues to be discussed in civil society organisations and student unions.
We need all members and supporters of Socialist Labour to raise these issues in any groups or meetings that they attend. We also need all supporters of Socialist Labour to try to raise these issues with any trade union members that they know or to visit local work places (schools, health centres, local government offices etc).
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