•NLC President Joe Ajaero
Nigerian workers through the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, have protested alleged neglect of their input in the formulation and implementation of the new tax laws.
Ajaero, onbehalf of the workers, criticised the government of shutting out what could have been meaningful inputs from workers in the new tax laws, only to turn around and accuse them of agonising over national economic policies, reports Daily Independent.
Ajaero made these observations yesterday, in Abuja, at the 85th birthday celebration and book presentation in honour of Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, entitled, ‘Organise Don’t Agonise’.
Speaking to the theme of the book, NLC said sidelining the voice of labour is to design policies on shaky, exclusionary foundations, destined to generate crisis and agony as being witnessed currently.
According to Ajaero, workers alerted government on some of the shortcoming of the tax laws but was ignored, noting that taxes that impose heavy burden on workers and the poor cannot be progressive.
He, however, said following the implementation of the new tax laws, government should also be poised to increase wages of workers, especially as the statutory National Minimum Wage negotiations commences in 2027.
Ajaero said, “It is from this standpoint that we must speak directly to the Nigerian government. The philosophy of ‘Organise, Don’t Agonise’ also implies that the state has a duty to engage, not enrage. There is an urgent need for deeper, more sincere, and structured engagement with the trade union movement at all levels.
“Policies, from fuel pricing to taxation, from wage to social services, must be crafted with the active, respected input of those who represent the workers and the broader masses. To sideline the organised voice of labour is to design policies on shaky, exclusionary foundations, destined to generate crisis and agony as is being witnessed currently.
“A poignant example of the failure to engage and obey the law is the ongoing travesty with the new tax laws. The tax laws went through a process that clearly excluded Nigerian workers and masses who are the major tax payers in Nigeria. From the Presidential Committee on Tax which Nigerian workers were deliberately excluded, we knew that the workers and masses were going to be on the menu (“eaten”); we said so and alerted the nation, then the legislative processes; we warned of the dangers but no one listened.
“Today, the result is clear; laws with serious alterations directed at making workers and the poor poorer has become the outcome. Tax law that imposes heavy burden on workers and the poor is not progressive. Tax that taxes the national minimum wage is not fair.
“Tax that taxes the masses who are living in excruciating poverty is regressive. That was why we were excluded from the committee and that was why our warnings went unheeded. We do not see anything wrong in pausing along this negative path, rethink, and, redirect.
“We use this platform to demand as Comrade Sunmonu would have; that the federal government immediately and fully constitutes the PenCom board and address immediately the concerns of Nigerians concerning the tax laws instead of the present grandstanding by Mr. Oyedele and Zach. Insisting on going ahead is akin to the muddling along in confusion and darkness since we do not know which one is truly the law. Continuing with this is a dangerous pattern that seriously undermines the tax administration itself and indeed our democracy.
“Let this celebration of a life spent organising inspire a new chapter. Let the government move from agonising the people to organising with them. Let us build a democracy that delivers not just political freedom but economic liberation, where the wealth of the nation serves the welfare of its people. It is on this note that we once again call on the federal government to urgently address the wages of Nigerian workers before next year’s statutory negotiation of the national minimum wage”.
