The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for an immediate reduction in petrol prices, a nationwide wage award and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage, saying rising living costs have reduced workers’ purchasing power.
The union made the demands in an Independence Day statement signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday and titled, “Our Hope Depends on the Choices We Make and the Actions We Take.”
According to the NLC, the demands have become necessary as workers and other Nigerians continue to face rising costs of transportation, food, rent and education.
The labour centre particularly linked the worsening cost-of-living crisis to the rise in petrol prices following the removal of the 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 NLC said.
The union urged the Federal Government to urgently tackle the impact of fuel costs on transportation and other parts 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 at the federal, state and local government levels, describing it as an emergency measure to address 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 follows the October 2023 agreement between the Federal Government and organised labour after 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 employees.
The NLC also accused the government of failing to fully implement tax relief measures contained in its October 2023 Memorandum of Understanding with labour. It urged the government to implement the agreed tax relief and accelerate discussions on a new national minimum wage.
“The current N70,000 minimum wage was already destroyed by inflation before it was implemented,” the union said, calling for 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, with the President stating at the time that it would be reviewed after three years.
The NLC also called for reduced governance costs, greater transparency in public expenditure and increased investment in roads, hospitals, schools and other 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,” it said.
On the removal of the petrol subsidy, the labour centre questioned what it described as the failure to turn 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?” the union asked.
The Federal Government and organised labour agreed in October 2023 that measures linked to the subsidy removal would include wage support, tax incentives, CNG buses and other interventions intended to cushion its impact.
The NLC also criticised Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products and called for increased investment in local refining capacity.
It said, “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 union called for affordable, quality public education, functional healthcare facilities and better road infrastructure, saying these measures would help reduce pressure on households and improve economic productivity.
The NLC also expressed concern about youth unemployment and migration, urging the government to create 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, adding that desperate journeys across the Sahara and Mediterranean should not remain a major source of hope for young Nigerians.
The union also linked insecurity to the country’s economic challenges, saying violence has affected farming, education and healthcare delivery. It argued that insecurity, poverty, unemployment and inequality are interconnected problems requiring attention to the distribution of economic opportunities and resources.
Ahead of 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 fuelling ethnic or religious tensions.
The union said it would use its proposed Workers’ Charter to outline its positions on policies and candidates when appropriate, while stressing that workers’ organisations should not be regarded simply 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 it would continue to focus on 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 statement added.