The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on both federal and state governments to urgently approve a Wage Award and Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for Nigerian workers, warning that many are struggling to survive under the weight of soaring living costs.
In a statement signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, the labour centre said the rising cost of petrol and other essential commodities had placed millions of workers under severe economic pressure.
The NLC explained that the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) had surged to between ₦1,170 and ₦1,300 per litre, largely due to global tensions arising from the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran. According to the labour body, the resulting spike in fuel costs has worsened transportation expenses and accelerated food inflation, leaving workers’ wages grossly inadequate.
The congress lamented that the current wages earned by many Nigerian workers had effectively become “stipends of starvation,” as the increasing cost of living continues to erode purchasing power.
To address the situation, the NLC demanded an immediate implementation of a Wage Award and Cost of Living Allowance for workers across the country to cushion the impact of economic hardship.
The labour union also called for a comprehensive overhaul of government cash transfer programmes to ensure transparency and proper targeting of the most vulnerable citizens. It further urged the government to increase the value of such transfers in line with prevailing inflation rates.
Additionally, the NLC demanded immediate tax relief for workers and the suspension of what it described as regressive taxes on low-income earners, including proposed taxes on the informal sector. The congress argued that taxing the minimum wage amounts to extortion.
The labour body also urged the federal government to set a clear timeline for the full operationalisation of all public refineries in the country. It warned against any attempt to sabotage national refineries in order to create monopolies in the petroleum sector.
According to the statement, no nation can attain economic independence by exporting jobs while importing high prices.
The NLC further warned that the worsening economic conditions could have serious social consequences if urgent steps were not taken.
“When a worker cannot afford to go to work, the economy stops. When a family cannot afford three meals a day, society sits on a keg of gunpowder,” the statement noted.
The congress stressed that government must not use the ongoing Middle East conflict as an excuse to deepen the suffering of citizens, insisting that it is the responsibility of the state to safeguard the welfare of the people.
On the projected economic gains from the global oil market, the NLC cited forecasts by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) that Nigeria could earn about ₦30 trillion in oil windfall due to the Middle East crisis.
However, the labour union cautioned that such revenue must not suffer the fate of the historic Gulf Oil Windfall, which it said was largely unaccounted for.
The NLC insisted that the anticipated oil windfall should be invested directly in improving the welfare of Nigerians and mitigating the economic impact of the global crisis.
It also called for sincere social dialogue between the government, workers, and the broader citizenry, stressing that the welfare of the people remains the primary duty of government.
“We demand action. We demand justice. We demand survival,” the statement concluded.
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