The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to reduce the pump price of petrol and begin the renegotiation of the national minimum wage, warning of possible further action if its demands are not met.
The ultimatum, which takes effect on Friday, October 9, was issued following a joint meeting of the Congress’s National Executive Council and Central Working Committee held at the Olaitan Oyerinde Hall, Labour House, Abuja.
The labour union also demanded immediate wage awards and tax relief for workers to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
In a communiqué signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC said the prevailing economic situation had significantly weakened workers’ purchasing power, making urgent government intervention necessary to ease the hardship confronting Nigerian workers and the wider population.
The Congress urged the Federal Government to reduce petrol prices to the level they were when the current national minimum wage was signed into law in 2024. It said high fuel prices had triggered increases in transportation costs, food prices and other essential goods and services, further worsening the economic difficulties faced by workers and low-income earners across the country.
On wages, the NLC called for the renegotiation of the national minimum wage to commence before the end of October, arguing that the depreciation of the naira and rising costs of food, housing, healthcare, transportation and education had eroded the value of workers’ earnings. It insisted that Nigerian workers needed a living wage that reflected the actual cost of living and preserved their dignity, while demanding that the government fulfil its commitment to provide tax relief and introduce immediate wage awards.
The Congress further called on the government to implement the February 5, 2026, terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU), as well as address the demands of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council. It warned that failure to meet its demands within the two-week deadline would compel the union to consider further action as directed by its relevant organs, urging its affiliates and progressive allies to remain prepared for what it described as decisive efforts against policies it considers detrimental to workers and the Nigerian people.
