NLC GIVES FG TWO-WEEK ULTIMATUM TO CUT PETROL PRICE, RENEGOTIATE MINIMUM WAGE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Nigeria Labour Congress has given the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to reduce the price of petrol and commence the renegotiation of the national minimum wage, warning that failure to meet its demands could trigger further action.
The ultimatum was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the NLC National Executive Council and Central Working Committee at Labour House, Abuja.
The communiqué, signed by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, stated that the two-week deadline would commence on Friday, October 9, 2026.
The Congress also directed its affiliates and progressive allies to remain on high alert and prepare for what it described as “decisive efforts” against policies it considers detrimental to workers and Nigerians.
According to the labour body, the decisions followed deliberations on what it described as worsening economic, political and survival crises confronting workers and the wider population.
“The joint meeting-in-session notes with profound alarm the deepening misery inflicted on the Nigerian working class and the broader masses by the neo-liberal policies of the federal government and its state institutions,” the communiqué stated.
The NLC said inflation continued to rise, the naira had depreciated significantly, wages had lost value and the cost of living had become unbearable.
On the national minimum wage, the Congress said the value of workers’ earnings had been eroded by the depreciation of the naira and rising living costs.
“The current national minimum wage has been rendered worthless by the relentless depreciation of the naira and the astronomical rise in the cost of living,” it said.
The labour body added that workers could no longer afford basic necessities, including food, shelter, healthcare, transportation and education, on their current wages.
It consequently demanded that the Federal Government commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage before the end of October.
“The Congress demands a living wage that reflects the true cost of living and the dignity of the Nigerian worker. Any further delay by the federal government remains unacceptable,” the NLC said.
The Congress also renewed its demand for an immediate reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol.
It called on the Federal Government to work with relevant agencies to reduce the price nationwide to the level it was when the current national minimum wage was signed into law in 2024.
According to the NLC, the high cost of petrol has had a “cascading effect” on transportation, food prices and other essential goods and services, worsening economic hardship.
The labour union also demanded tax relief for workers and the immediate payment of wage awards to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
“These measures are the bare minimum required to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian workers and restore a measure of dignity to their lives,” the Congress said.
In its list of specific demands, the NLC called on the Federal Government to:
Take measures to reduce the price of petrol nationwide to its 2024 level when the current national minimum wage was signed into law;
Commence the process of renegotiating a new national minimum wage;
Implement the Terms of Settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals on February 5, 2026, alongside other outstanding demands; and
Implement the demands of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council.
The Congress warned that failure to address the demands within the two-week period would compel it to take further action.
“Failure of which the NLC will be compelled to take remedial steps as would be directed by the relevant Organs,” the communiqué stated.
The NLC further reaffirmed what it described as its “historical responsibility” to resist exploitation and oppression, urging its affiliates and allies to remain prepared to act against what it termed anti-people policies.
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