As Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently reduce the price of petrol, introduce a nationwide wage award and commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The NLC said the demands had become imperative as rising inflation and the escalating cost of living continued to erode workers’ purchasing power and place additional pressure on households across the country.
The union made the demands in an Independence Day statement signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday, titled: “Our Hope Depends on the Choices We Make and the Actions We Take.”
According to the NLC, Nigerians are struggling with rising costs of transportation, food, rent, education and other basic necessities, with the situation worsened by the increase in petrol prices following the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023.
“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 union stated.
The labour body urged the Federal Government to urgently address the transmission of rising fuel costs to 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 demanded the immediate implementation of a nationwide wage award for workers at the federal, state and local government levels, describing it as an emergency intervention to cushion the effects of declining real incomes.
“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 provided for a N35,000 monthly wage award for federal workers and called for consideration of similar relief for state and local government workers.
The NLC further accused the government of failing to fully implement tax relief measures contained in the October 2023 Memorandum of Understanding reached with labour.
It therefore urged the government to implement the agreed tax relief measures and expedite negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
“The current N70,000 minimum wage was already destroyed by inflation before it was implemented,” the NLC said.
The union called for the immediate constitution of a tripartite committee to formulate 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, with the President stating at the time that it would be reviewed after three years.
The NLC also called for a reduction in the cost of governance, greater transparency in public expenditure and increased investment in roads, hospitals, schools and other critical social infrastructure.
“When workers are asked to tighten their belts, the extravagance and waste of the governing class are unacceptable. Government must lead by example,” the union stated.
On petrol subsidy removal, the labour union questioned what it described as the failure to translate the savings from the policy into improved 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?” it asked.
In October 2023, the Federal Government and organised labour agreed on several measures aimed at cushioning the impact of subsidy removal, including wage support, tax incentives, CNG buses and other interventions.
The NLC also criticised Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported refined petroleum products, calling for greater investment in domestic refining capacity.
“Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, depends on imported refined petroleum, while domestic refining capacity has been systematically neglected, except for the efforts of a few private refineries,” it stated.
On social welfare, the union called for affordable and quality public education, functional healthcare facilities and improved road infrastructure, arguing that these were essential to reducing pressure on households and improving economic productivity.
The NLC further expressed concern over youth unemployment and migration, urging the government to create genuine economic opportunities capable of giving young Nigerians reasons 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.
The NLC also linked insecurity to the country’s economic challenges, noting that violence had negatively affected farming, education and healthcare delivery.
It maintained that insecurity, poverty, unemployment and inequality were interconnected challenges that required deliberate attention to the distribution of economic opportunities and national resources.
2027 Elections
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the NLC said Nigerian workers should be allowed to make independent political choices, while warning against electoral manipulation, voter intimidation and rhetoric capable of aggravating ethnic or religious tensions.
The union said it would, at the appropriate time, use its proposed Workers’ Charter to articulate its positions on policies and candidates, but stressed that workers’ organisations should not be treated merely as electoral tools.
“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 decent wages, safe workplaces, 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 union concluded.
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