The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged journalists to hold politicians accountable for their plans to improve workers\u2019 welfare ahead of the 2027 general elections.\n<\/p>\n
It insisted that Nigeria needs a living wage rather than a statutory minimum wage that fails to meet basic needs.\n<\/p>\n
The NLC Assistant Secretary, Chris Onyeka, made the call in a goodwill message delivered at the third annual labour conference of the Labour Correspondents\u2019 Association of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday.\n<\/p>\n
The congress also called on LACAN to support the struggle for better wages, job security and social protection, warning that economic reforms that suppress workers\u2019 earnings in the name of stabilisation are detrimental to workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cMinimum wage is not a charitable gesture; it is the price of labour power, and any economic reform that suppresses wages in the name of \u2018stabilisation\u2019 is a reform against the worker, not for the economy,\u201d Onyeka said.\n<\/p>\n
He described the forthcoming 2027 elections and negotiations for a new national minimum wage as critical opportunities to address the hardship confronting Nigerian workers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe battle for a living wage\u2014not just a minimum wage\u2014is a class struggle, and it requires a media that is armed with the truth, not compromised by the corridors of power,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Onyeka urged labour correspondents to scrutinise political parties\u2019 economic proposals and demand clear commitments on workers\u2019 welfare rather than allowing campaign promises to go unchallenged.\n<\/p>\n
On the future of work, he warned that increasing casualisation, the expansion of the platform economy and the weakening of conventional employment arrangements could undermine workers\u2019 rights and collective bargaining.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Nigerian worker is already living in a dystopian version of this future: casualised, underpaid, and increasingly invisible in a digital economy that extracts value while denying rights,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
He maintained that technological advancement and changing employment patterns must not come at the expense of decent work, fair recruitment and social protection.\n<\/p>\n
The NLC assistant secretary also urged LACAN to strengthen its participation in the Nigeria Union of Journalists, arguing that journalists needed strong professional institutions to defend press freedom and protect their working conditions.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot defend the rights of workers if your own house is not in order. The struggle for press freedom is intrinsically linked to the struggle for workers\u2019 rights,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
Onyeka further cautioned labour correspondents against reporting that could deepen divisions within the labour movement, particularly over resolutions reached between organised labour and the Federal Government.<\/p>\n
He urged the association to provide clarity on industrial relations issues and avoid amplifying propaganda or unverified claims.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cReport the facts; do not amplify propaganda,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
He called on LACAN to adopt a reporting approach that gave greater attention to casual workers, low-income earners and other vulnerable groups whose concerns were often overlooked in policy discussions.\n<\/p>\n
Onyeka reaffirmed the NLC\u2019s commitment to working with the association but urged labour correspondents to be more creative and consistent in examining the effects of government policies on ordinary Nigerians.\n<\/p>\n
He said the media had an important role to play in ensuring that economic reforms translated into improved living conditions rather than imposing additional hardship on workers and the poor.\n <\/p>\n
Source: <\/p>\n
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