The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded that the government and employers in the private sector must give better attention to the issue of workers’ welfare in the year 2024.

This vow was made by the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, in his New Year message to Nigerians.

Ajaero berated the federal government for allowing workers to go hungry during the Yuletide season by denying them the benefit of their hard-earned December 2023 salary.

He vowed that the NLC will ensure workers get a living wage in the year 2024 by engaging with the government and all other stakeholders to secure the National Minimum Wage.

The statement reads in part: “To this end, NLC will be committed in 2024 towards ensuring that a living wage becomes possible for all Nigerian workers by working with others to secure a National Minimum Wage that approximates to the dictates of the various parameters that make incomes humane and grants access to basic necessities of life for the average worker.

“We will recommit to building workplaces that guarantee the rights and privileges of workers while building the basis for continuous wealth creation for our nation. All actions that will, therefore, ensure that decent work gaps are reduced to their barest minimum will be encouraged.

“We will, therefore, strengthen our collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), using the tripartite process to regulate the industrial relations space and ensure that the reviewed labour administration laws are forwarded to the National Assembly for passage into law.