Oct 1: NLC demands petrol price cut, wage award, new minimum wage

Oct 1: NLC demands petrol price cut, wage award, new minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded an immediate reduction in the price of petrol, a nationwide wage award for workers and the commencement of negotiations for a new minimum wage ahead of 2027.

The NLC made the demands in an Independence Day statement signed by its president, Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday.

The labour centre said Nigerians were facing a “full-scale survival crisis” as inflation continued to erode the purchasing power of workers and drive up the cost of essential goods and services.

It said, “We stand at the crossroads of a full-scale survival crisis. The real value of wages has been devoured by structural inflation.”

According to the NLC, petrol now sells for ₦1,430 per litre or more in major cities, with prices higher 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,” it said.

The labour union blamed the worsening economic hardship on policies it described as serving the interests of a small elite and international capital at the expense of Nigerian workers.

“Sixty-six years after independence, Nigeria has become a nation whose governance decisions have been captured by neoliberalism; an ideology and a policy framework that does not serve workers, does not serve the masses, does not serve the nation, but is designed to serve Western capital,” the NLC said.

It also renewed its criticism of the removal of petrol subsidy, describing the May 2023 price increase as “a systematic assault on the working class.”

“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,” the NLC said.

It asked, “Where exactly did the subsidy savings go? Nigerians deserve an answer, and they deserve it now.”

The NLC also questioned Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported refined petroleum despite being Africa’s largest oil producer.

“This is not an economic law. It is a policy choice that favours importers and Western refining capital while sacrificing our own people by ensuring the four publicly owned domestic refineries remain comatose,” the statement said.

The labour union listed five immediate demands, beginning with a reduction in petrol prices to ease transportation costs and inflation.

“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.

“A wage award is not charity. It is an emergency intervention against the collapse of real income,” it said.

The union further demanded the implementation of tax relief measures agreed upon with the government during an October 2023 dialogue with labour.

“The tax incentives promised in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between government and labour have not been implemented,” it said.

On the minimum wage, the NLC said the current ₦70,000 wage had already lost substantial value to inflation and called for a new wage standard to be negotiated for 2027.

“The current ₦70,000 minimum wage was already destroyed by inflation before it was implemented,” it said.

The labour centre demanded “the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to ensure that a new wage standard for 2027 is formulated and legislated before the year runs out.”

It also called on the government to reduce the cost of governance and ensure transparency, arguing that public officials should lead by example when workers are being asked to make sacrifices.

“Government must lead by example,” the NLC said.

Beyond wages and the cost of living, the labour union called for increased investment in roads, healthcare, education and other social infrastructure.

“Public education must be affordable, high-quality, and accessible. Good roads are a basic precondition for reducing transport costs and improving economic efficiency,” it said.

The NLC also expressed concern about the lack of opportunities for young Nigerians, warning that economic hardship and unemployment were contributing to desperate migration.

“The government must create genuine opportunities so that young people can see hope instead of being preached to about hope…so that desperate journeys across the Sahara and the Mediterranean do not remain the only source of hope,” it said.

The union linked insecurity to Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, saying nearly 2,000 Nigerians were killed by violence in the first quarter of 2026.

“Farmers cannot farm. Teachers and doctors dare not go to work in some places,” the statement said.

It added, “Poverty, unemployment, desperation, and inequality are the most fertile soil for violence and crime.”

The NLC also issued a warning ahead of the 2027 general elections, calling on political actors to respect the choice of voters.

“As campaigns rage on for the 2027 general elections, we warn all political forces that the choice of the people must be respected and must prevail,” it said.

The union said attempts to manipulate elections, intimidate voters or exploit ethnic and religious divisions would not be tolerated.

It also warned politicians and political parties that workers would remember their records in office.

“We will not forget the politicians who turned a deaf ear to the demands of workers. We will not forget the parties that made promises before elections and abandoned workers after winning power,” the NLC said.

The labour centre said it would unveil its position on policies and candidates through its Workers’ Charter at the appropriate time.

“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,” it said.

However, the NLC stressed that workers would retain the right to make independent political choices.

“Workers have the right to independent political thoughts, judgement, and choice,” it said.

Ajaero said the NLC would continue to advocate decent wages, safe workplaces and improved living conditions while demanding accountability in the management of public resources.

“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,” he said.