The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have berated President Bola Tinubu-led government for wasting billions of naira on presidential villa renovation, airfleets, and the unconstitutional office of first lady, while offering workers “slave wage” amid economic hardship in the country.

In a joint statement by NLC and TUC leaders, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, on Monday, the NLC said Mr Tinubu’s government offers workers “slave wage amidst excruciating hardship,” lamenting “galloping inflation marked by unprecedented food inflation of 40% and general inflation of 33% that have left “Nigerians especially workers are currently living just on the edge.”

“In addition to the historicity of slave wages marked by the continued downturn in the national economy, massive devaluation of the naira, removal of government subsidies, increase in taxation, astronomical hike of the tariff of critical utilities and the combo siege of collapsed public infrastructure and insecurity all over the country, life has become a Hobbesian reality in Nigeria – short, nasty and brutish,” the statement said.

It added, “While the Federal Government offers a very paltry sum which in real inflation and naira value is far below the current national minimum wage, in one word – backward increase of the national minimum wage government has shown a huge appetite for profligacy.”

Citing examples of Tinubu-led government financial recklessness while “workers wage remain stagnant amidst buffeting increases in the cost of living,” the statement said “on November 2, 2023, the National Assembly approved the N2.18 trillion 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill forwarded to it by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The supplementary bill turned out to be a competition for luxury and ostentatious items including a N5 billion yacht, the renovation of the President’s and Vice-President’s residences, billed to gulp N13.5 billion.”

It added “The “Office of the First Lady,” alien to the constitution, would gulp N1.5 billion. N2.9 billion was budgeted for Presidential Villa SUVs, and another N2.9 billion to replace “operational vehicles, while the Presidential Air Fleet receives N12.5 billion.”

NLC and TUC’s criticisms of Mr Tinubu government comes as their declared nationwide strike saw public institutions, schools, banks, hospitals, airports, ministries and agencies, shutdown, paralysing public and commercial activities across the country.

Labour is demanding N494,000 minimum wage based on spiking cost of living, while the federal government is offering to pay N60,000. 

As a result of Monday’s strike, Tinubu-led government has called NLC and its affiliate to further negotiate on the minimum wage, adding that labour’s N494,000 minimum wage demand will crippled the economy.

NLC and its affiliate unions had declared indefinite nationwide strike over federal government’s failure to meet their demands on minimum wage increment a year after 

Mr Tinubu assumed office, removing fuel subsidy.