Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero has strongly criticized the government’s handling of economic policies, accusing it of betraying workers through unjust taxation, tariff hikes, and failure to honour agreements. Speaking at the 6th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) in Lagos on Friday, Ajaero warned that Nigerian workers would not remain silent in the face of economic hardship.
Ajaero accused the government of neglecting its regulatory responsibilities and prioritizing corporate interests over the well-being of citizens. “We must resist the attempt to tax the Nigerian people to death,” he declared. “At a time when the minimum wage is not being implemented appropriately, and federal civil servants are having their salaries arbitrarily reduced, we cannot remain silent.”
The NLC president also lauded the outgoing MWUN leadership under Adewale Adeyanju, hailing their efforts in strengthening the union and defending maritime workers’ rights. He urged the union to elect leaders who would continue the struggle for fair wages, decent working conditions, and a stronger labour movement.
Ajaero further warned against growing authoritarian tendencies in governance, insisting that the labour movement would not tolerate any form of dictatorship or economic oppression. “We must resist the concentration of power in the hands of a few and the systematic subversion of constitutional order,” he said.
He called on Nigerian workers to remain vigilant and organised, promising that the NLC would continue to push back against policies that undermine their welfare. “Our struggle is not just about the maritime sector or the MWUN alone,” Ajaero said. “It is a struggle for the soul of Nigeria – a struggle to build a nation where the rights of workers are respected, where labour is justly rewarded, and where the welfare of every citizen is prioritised.”
As the MWUN elects its new leadership, Ajaero urged delegates to make their choices wisely, warning that the future of the labour movement depended on their decisions.
