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Full Details of NLC, TUC Meeting with Tinubu on New Minimum Wage Emerge
The meeting held on Thursday between President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) regarding the contentious new minimum wage will continue next week. The session, initiated by President Tinubu, took place at the State House in Abuja.
After the two-hour discussion, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, described the dialogue as a “fruitful” exchange between “father and children.”
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, clarified that the meeting was a discussion, not a negotiation, with no specific figures addressed. “In real sense it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms probably and reconvene in the next one week. So that’s where we are. Because we didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo. At least there were some basic issues that we agreed on,” Ajaero stated.
Ajaero also emphasized that the status quo remains, with the NLC insisting on N250,000 for the least paid Nigerian worker, as opposed to the N62,000 proposed by the Federal Government. President Tinubu underscored the necessity for improved welfare, better wages, and enhanced working conditions for Nigerian workers, highlighting their role as the driving force of the nation.
Speaking with the NLC leadership, led by Joe Ajaero, and the TUC leadership, led by Comrade Festus Osifo, President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritizing workers’ concerns. “I pay attention to everything around me. A happy worker is a productive worker. And society depends on the productivity of the happy worker,” he stated.
However, the President called for realistic expectations regarding the minimum wage, urging a pragmatic approach. “You have to cut your coat according to available cloth. Before we can finalize the minimum wage process, we have to look at the structure. Why must we adjust wages every five years? Why not two? Why not three years? What is a problem today, can be eased up tomorrow.
There is much dynamism to this process if we are not myopic in our approaches. We can take a surgical approach that is based on pragmatism and a deep understanding of all factors,” he explained.
The deliberations will resume next week as both parties seek a mutually agreeable resolution to the minimum wage issue.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
US President-elect, Donald Trump’s incoming administration plans to immediately order a series of deportation raids targeting illegal immigrants after his inauguration.
Chicago is expected to be the first major city targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as part of Operation Safeguard, the New York Times reported, citing two people familiar with planning the undertaking.
The massive deportation operation is expected to target criminals and gang members in the United States illegally and run for one week.
Trump has promised to conduct the largest deportation program in U.S. history.
Up to 200 ICE agents are being sent to Chicago to help kick off the operation on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The agency has already asked agents to volunteer for the post-inauguration raids.
“There’s gonna be a big raid across the country,” Tom Homan, who will be in charge of U.S. borders once Trump takes office, told Fox News in an interview.
Homan has previously said he will instruct ICE agents to carry out raids on illegal immigrants at their workplaces.
In addition to Chicago, the sweeping crackdown will also target other major U.S. cities with large immigrant populations.
Trump is set to take the oath of office on Monday, January 20, in an inauguration that will take place indoors.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A faith-based civil society organization, CSO that monitors and reports on Hajj and Umrah activities, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, for selecting a different Saudi-based Hajj service provider for the 2025 Hajj season.
It said the decision would create healthy competition among service providers interested in efficiently, qualitatively, and satisfactorily serving Nigerian pilgrims.
The CSO, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja, said the quest for improved Hajj services has been a major challenge for Nigerian pilgrims owing to the repeated failure of providing satisfactory services.
”We applauded the decision to pick another service provider that will cater for the needs of pilgrims within the Masha’ir areas during the five days of Hajj,” he said
The national coordinator, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to monitor the pre-Hajj arrangements, said available information shows that the new company, Mashariq Al Dhahabia, is an experienced provider that has served top-rated Hajj countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia, and ranked among the top five Hajj service providers by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
“The company served 249 706 which is the largest number of Hajj pilgrims during the 2023 hajj. They were awarded as the Best Hajj Service Providers during the 2022 Hajj by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,” he stated.
IHR said it further understood that NAHCON is planning to recruit another service provider to provide services for very important personalities, VIP pilgrims so as not to repeat the experience of previous years, which is also a desired step forward.
It, however, urged NAHCON to set a parameter of performance for the newly selected service providers to serve as a baseline for determining continuous patronage, advising that such criteria should be based on pilgrims’ satisfaction and adherence to contractual terms.
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