PETROL PRICE HIKE: NLC INSISTS TWO-WEEK ULTIMATUM TO FG STANDS

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted that its two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government over rising petrol prices and fresh wage negotiations remains in force, warning that Nigerian workers continue to face severe economic hardship despite the increase in the national minimum wage to ₦70,000.

NLC President Joe Ajaero stated this on Monday in Abuja, where he criticised the implementation of the 2024 minimum wage agreement and called on the government to take urgent steps to ease the rising cost of living.

His remarks came amid growing tensions between organised labour and the Federal Government over workers’ declining purchasing power, with the union demanding relief from rising petrol prices and renewed salary negotiations.

Ajaero urged the government to address workers’ concerns proactively rather than wait for strikes or protests before taking action.

He said, “I’ve not come here to discuss my ultimatum. My ultimatum stands. I’ve said something about it, and this is not a table. The fact that the permanent secretary is here does not give us the opportunity to start negotiating an ultimatum. He has replied a letter, and we have replied him again. So, we will go into that game.”

The NLC president added that Nigerian workers were struggling to meet basic needs and called on government officials to take measures that would ease their financial burden.

“The point we are making is not strike. The point we are making is that whether you enter bus or you buy fuel, you will not be able to eat,” he said.

Ajaero argued that governments should introduce interventions to cushion the effects of economic hardship before industrial disputes escalate. He called on the Federal Government to adopt a similar approach through timely support measures and meaningful engagement with labour unions.

The labour leader also challenged claims that federal workers received salary increases of about 133 per cent following the 2024 minimum wage negotiations.

According to him, the government added ₦40,000 to the salaries of federal public servants, an adjustment he said did not amount to the percentage increase being attributed to the agreement.

He maintained that the salary adjustment had failed to provide adequate relief as inflation and rising transportation costs continued to erode workers’ purchasing power.

Ajaero also expressed concern over unresolved industrial disputes, recalling an 84-day strike by health sector workers that was suspended following the intervention of organised labour. He said the issues that led to the strike remained unresolved more than a year after the intervention.

He further disclosed that workers under the National Public Service Negotiating Council had considered industrial action but were persuaded by labour leaders to suspend their plans.

The NLC president rejected suggestions that politicians were influencing organised labour, describing such claims as insulting to workers seeking better living conditions.

He appealed to government officials and the leadership of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to take workers’ concerns seriously and pursue solutions capable of preventing further deterioration in industrial relations.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, called for a balance between workers’ demands for improved remuneration and the government’s financial capacity.

Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Abubakar Kana, said wage decisions must reflect economic realities while promoting industrial harmony.

He warned against avoidable industrial disputes, stressing that dialogue and cooperation were essential to maintaining economic stability, particularly amid ongoing reforms and rising public expectations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Akume also urged the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to improve policy coordination, embrace digital transformation and strengthen the implementation of institutional reforms.

Earlier, the commission’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Junaidu Bindawa, said Nigeria’s economic conditions required a more strategic approach to wage administration.

Bindawa noted that inflation, changing labour expectations and demands for improved public service efficiency had increased the need for sustainable salary policies.

He explained that the commission’s retreat, themed “Vision, Strategy and Institutional Renewal,” was designed to improve its capacity to address emerging wage and compensation challenges.

The chairman called for stronger research, job evaluation, compensation management, industrial harmony and institutional accountability, adding that the retreat should produce a practical roadmap with measurable outcomes.

In her welcome address, the commission’s Secretary, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, called for a shift from reactive wage reviews to a permanent system guided by reliable data.

She said the commission intended to develop an action plan aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria Agenda 2050 and the Medium-Term National Development Plan for 2027 to 2030.

Also speaking, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Abel Enitan, identified improved workers’ welfare, institutional efficiency and the modernisation of government operations as essential to national development.

Enitan said the government was prioritising capacity development and the digitisation of civil service operations, with the aim of establishing a fully paperless working environment.

He added that achieving President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030 would require a productive and well-equipped workforce.