The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to immediately reduce the price of petrol, implement a nationwide wage award and begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage, warning that rising living costs have significantly eroded workers’ purchasing power.
The demands were contained in an Independence Day statement signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday and titled, “Our Hope Depends on the Choices We Make and the Actions We Take.”
The labour centre said the measures had become urgent as Nigerians continued to contend with escalating costs of transportation, food, housing, education and other basic necessities.
According to the NLC, the sharp increase in petrol prices following the removal of the subsidy in 2023 had worsened the cost-of-living crisis by pushing up transportation costs and, consequently, the prices of goods and services.
“Petrol now sells at N1,430 per litre or higher in major cities and far more in remote areas. The surge in transportation costs drives up the prices of food, school fees, rent, and nearly every necessity of life, while nominal wages remain stagnant,” the NLC said.
The union urged the Federal Government to urgently address the impact of fuel prices on transportation and other sectors of the economy.
“Without cutting this chain, any effort to ease the suffering of the people is futile,” it said.
The NLC also called for the immediate implementation of a nationwide wage award for workers across the federal, state and local governments.
It described the proposed wage award as an emergency measure to cushion the impact of declining real incomes, rather than an act of government generosity.
“A wage award is not charity. It is an emergency intervention against the collapse of real income,” the union said.
The demand comes against the backdrop of the October 2023 agreement between the Federal Government and organised labour following the removal of the petrol subsidy. The agreement included a N35,000 monthly wage award for federal workers and provided for consideration of similar relief for workers at the state and local government levels.
The NLC also accused the government of failing to fully implement tax relief measures contained in the October 2023 Memorandum of Understanding reached with organised labour.
It called on the government to implement the agreed tax relief measures and accelerate negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
“The current N70,000 minimum wage was already destroyed by inflation before it was implemented,” the union said.
The NLC subsequently demanded the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to develop and legislate a new wage standard for 2027 before the end of the year.
The current N70,000 national minimum wage was approved by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024. At the time, Tinubu said the wage would be reviewed after three years.
The NLC also criticised what it described as the continued high cost of governance and called for greater transparency in public expenditure.
It urged the government to increase investment in roads, hospitals, schools and other critical social infrastructure, arguing that improved public services would help reduce the financial burden on households.
“When workers are asked to tighten their belts, the extravagance and waste of the governing class are unacceptable. Government must lead by example,” it said.
The labour centre also questioned the use of funds saved from the removal of the petrol subsidy, saying the expected benefits had not been sufficiently reflected in infrastructure and social services.
“Government claimed subsidy removal would free up resources for infrastructure and social services. Three years later, petrol prices have multiplied several times over, yet the promised infrastructure and social services remain mirages. Where exactly did the subsidy savings go?” the union asked.
The Federal Government and organised labour had agreed in October 2023 on several measures intended to cushion the impact of subsidy removal, including wage support, tax incentives and the deployment of compressed natural gas buses.
The union further criticised Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported refined petroleum products despite being a major crude oil producer.
It called for increased investment in domestic refining capacity, while acknowledging the contribution of some private refineries.
“Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, depends on imported refined petroleum, while domestic refining capacity has been systematically neglected, except the efforts of a few private refineries.”
On social welfare, the NLC demanded affordable and quality public education, functional healthcare facilities and improved roads.
It said investment in these areas was necessary to reduce pressure on households while improving economic productivity.
The labour centre also expressed concern over youth unemployment and migration, urging the government to create economic opportunities that would encourage young Nigerians to remain in the country.
“The government must create genuine opportunities so that young people can see hope instead of being preached to about hope,” it said.
The union added that desperate journeys across the Sahara and Mediterranean should not continue to represent a major source of hope for young Nigerians.
It also linked insecurity to the country’s economic difficulties, noting that violence had disrupted farming, education and healthcare delivery.
According to the NLC, insecurity, poverty, unemployment and inequality are interconnected challenges that require attention to how economic opportunities and resources are distributed.
On the 2027 general elections, the NLC said workers should be free to make independent political choices and warned against electoral manipulation, voter intimidation and rhetoric capable of inflaming ethnic or religious tensions.
The union said it would, when appropriate, use its proposed Workers’ Charter to state its positions on policies and candidates, while insisting that workers’ organisations should not be reduced to electoral instruments.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress will, at the appropriate time, use our Workers’ Charter to make it clear which policies and candidates deserve the support of the working class,” Ajaero said.
“However, we will never accept any force treating workers’ organisations as dispensable electoral tools. Workers have the right to independent political thoughts, judgement, and choice.”
The NLC said its priorities would remain centred on decent wages, safe working conditions, accountability and the protection of workers’ welfare.
“The unity and action of the masses is the only reliable force capable of changing this country. Hope belongs to those who organise, who struggle, and who choose their own destiny,” the statement added.
