The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has urged the Federal Government to implement all agreements reached with organised labour in 2023, especially the National Minimum Wage.

TUC President, FESTUS OSIFO said this in a 2024 New Year message jointly signed by Secretary General of the union, NUHU TORO in Abuja.

OSIFO said the TUC had in 2023 strived to ensure that social dialogue with the federal government prevailed, but they have failed to implement simple basic agreements with Labour.

He said that labour had insisted that the October 2, 2023, agreements between them and the administration be notarised by the court.

OSIFO said that a new National Minimum Wage must be negotiated, and implemented, and if further delayed in the year, arrears must be paid.

He noted that Inflation, which was running at 28.20 per cent, must be drastically reduced to the Sub-Saharan African regional average of 9.4 per cent.

The TUC president urged the governments at state and federal levels to stop the unnecessary, economically unwise, and unpatriotic tradition of taking loans.

He also urged the government to stop its ill-advised devaluation of the national currency, which is causing the collapse of local industries which need foreign exchange to import raw materials.

OSIFO added that this has led to mega inflation in the import-dependent economy.

The TUC president also called for the stoppage of the sale of the Naira in the streets due to the Central Bank-induced scarcity.

OSIFO added that this was possible, provided the government ensured an adequate supply of Naira notes in the banking system.

He also called for a drastic reduction in the price of petrol to repair the damage done to the economy and ensure local production of refined products.

OSIFO said that the security of Nigerians should be the yardstick to determine whether military, security chiefs and others should remain in office or be replaced.

The TUC President argued that Community Policing should be prioritised alongside the mobilisation of the citizenry to defend themselves against bandits, among others.