1st January 2025
The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged the executive to withdraw the Tax Reform Bills submitted by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly, to room for more inclusive dialogue amongst key national stakeholders.
In a New Year message to Nigerians on Tuesday, NLC emphasized the need for the government to prioritise citizen welfare and address the escalating cost of living in 2025.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who described it as controversial, particularly amongst northern regions, where the tax reform bills have been criticised as detrimental to economic growth, stated that creating a comprehensive national tax policy requires national collaboration to ensure transparency and acceptability.
Titled ‘In 2025, hope is in our collective resolve’, the NLC, is n the statement, urged the government to prioritize policies that improve access to basic necessities like food, security healthcare, housing, education and transportation.
It also advocated for improved worker welfare, stating that meeting these basic needs is fundamental to effective and good governance.
Ajaero said the union is commitment to negotiation for upward review of wage to address the current economic challenges faced by Nigerian workers.
He stressed the need for compliance with the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act and pledged to engage the government in safeguarding workers’ welfare through fair wage adjustments.
The NLC criticiszd the increasing use of force in interactions with unions, warning that such actions could disrupt industrial harmony.
Part of the statement read “As we step into the year 2025, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, extends warm New Year greetings to every worker and citizen across our great nation.
“The challenges of survival we have faced as a people must not hold us down. Instead, let us find inner strength to build a collective resolve to drive Nigeria out of the morass of underdevelopment that has held it captive for far too long.
READ MORE; Tinubu’s insistence on tax bills Not Going Down Well With Some Northern elders
“No external power will deliver us from the scourge of economic hardship and stagnation. It is only through our collective effort and determination that we can propel our nation forward,”
Looking ahead, the NLC plans to host a national dialogue in Ibadan this January to foster collaboration on a new tax framework that supports national development.
.“As we embark on a national dialogue in Ibadan in January 2025, we want to join hands in co-creating a new national tax law that would enjoy wider acceptance and fulfil its purpose of propelling national development which we believe is the main objective of government.
“As we move into 2025, we urge the federal government to prioritize industrial peace by taking social dialogue seriously, pursuing pro-human progress policies, and respecting agreements with trade unions.
“We insist that governments at all levels must comply with the provisions of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act from the very beginning of the year. Furthermore, given the economic realities imposed by recent government policies, we shall engage the government for a wage review to safeguard workers’ welfare.”
The NLC reaffirmed that it would continue to advocate for workers’ rights, urging unity and collective resolve to drive the country towards sustainable development path.
