By Charles Maduka
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has criticised the newly enacted tax law, saying it places an additional financial burden on workers and low-income earners while excluding their input in the reform process.
Ajaero spoke in Abuja during the unveiling of the memoir of a former NLC President, Hassan Summonu, where he accused the Federal Government of deliberately sidelining workers, despite their status as major taxpayers in the country.
He described the law as regressive, arguing that any tax policy that affects the national minimum wage and people living in poverty cannot be considered fair or progressive. According to him, labour unions had earlier warned that excluding workers from discussions would result in policies that deepen hardship.
The labour leader warned that continuing with the implementation of the law without reviewing it could undermine public trust, weaken tax administration and threaten democratic values. He urged the government to rethink the policy and redirect its approach to taxation.
Ajaero also called on the Federal Government to urgently address workers’ wages ahead of the next national minimum wage negotiations and to fully constitute the PENCOM Board, stressing that meaningful engagement with labour unions is essential for policies that affect Nigerian workers.
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