Ajaero Accuses Tinubu Administration of Poor Engagement with Labour

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero has criticised the Bola Tinubu administration for what he described as a prolonged failure to engage meaningfully with organised labour.

Ajaero made the allegation during the latest episode of the Mic On Podcast, where he discussed the circumstances surrounding the NLC’s planned nationwide protest in December 2025.

According to the labour leader, the congress repeatedly attempted to open communication with the Federal Government but received little or no response to letters sent to President Tinubu between May and December 2025.

“For the past two to three years, it’s not government that is engaging. This government doesn’t engage,” Ajaero said.

He argued that the administration only appeared to respond when labour unions resorted to public actions to draw attention to their concerns.

“It’s only when people engage; they now say A, B, C, D. So they are aloof,” he said.

Ajaero said the lack of response from the government eventually contributed to the decision by the NLC to schedule a nationwide street protest for December 17, 2025.

He disclosed, however, that the planned action prompted some state governors to intervene and facilitate discussions between labour leaders and government representatives.

“And after that, some governors intervened, and we had an interface. So some governors met with us, and since that time, we have talked once or twice,” he said.

The NLC president expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as the limited engagement that followed the intervention, alleging that the government had continued with its activities without adequately addressing the issues raised by labour.

“And those issues, from December last year to now, they are just doing their business. Everybody is their enemy,” he added.

Ajaero’s comments come against the backdrop of renewed tensions between organised labour and the Federal Government following a three-day warning strike threatened by public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC).

The council had demanded a reduction in petrol prices to N500 per litre and the approval of a new wage award for workers, warning that failure to meet its demands could trigger industrial action.