By Felix Durumbah, Abuja
Nigeria may witness a nationwide industrial convulsion as, embittered by seeming official indifference to the spiralling poverty in the land arising from dire socioeconomic difficulties, Labour has handed the Federal Government (FG) two weeks, beginning tomorrow (Friday) to reverse petrol price to the January 2024 rate, or face consequences.
People&Politics notes that a litre of petrol at pump heads of retail outlets in January 2024 sold for about ₦668.30 whereas presently it goes for about N1,500 in different parts of the country – a jump of over 100 per cent.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who disclosed the ultimatum today in a communique he personally signed, a copy of which was obtained by People&Politics, warned that if the FG failed to do the needful to immediately relieve “pauperised workers and masses” of their imposed burdens, then Labour would be compelled to proceed to the next stage of its processes.
Ajaero stated that NLC took the decisions following a joint meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) and Central Working Committee (CWC) in Abuja yesterday (Wednesday, 7 October).
People&Politics further notes that the NEC comprises all Presidents, General Secretaries, and Treasurers of NLC’s 43 affiliate trade unions; state Chairpersons and Secretaries of all NLC State Councils; Chairperson of the NLC Youth Committee; and members of NLC’s National Administrative Council (NAC).
The CWC comprises all NAC members (including the elected national officers led by the President, the General Secretary, Deputy General Secretaries, and Heads of Departments) and the Presidents and General Secretaries of affiliate unions.
The meeting also dwelt, and took positions, on several other areas of economic pain, described by Ajaero as “existential threats”, tormenting workers such as a new minimum wage amid the prevailing inflation.
Below, the full communique:
“COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE JOINT MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) AND CENTRAL WORKING COMMITTEE (CWC) OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC) HELD IN ABUJA ON THE 7TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2026
“The National Executive Council (NEC) and the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) convened a joint meeting at the Olaitan Oyerinde Hall, Labour House, Abuja, to deliberate on the state of the nation, the existential threats facing Nigerian workers and the downtrodden masses, and the urgent tasks confronting the trade union movement in Nigeria.
“Having extensively discussed the grave economic, political, and crises of survival ravaging workers and the nation at large, NEC-in-session, in conjunction with the CWC, resolves as follows:
“ON THE STATE OF THE NATION AND THE EXISTENTIAL CRISES FACING NIGERIAN WORKERS AND MASSES
“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. Inflation continues to soar unabated, the naira remains traumatised, wages have been rendered worthless, and the cost of living has become unbearable. The ruling elite, acting as enforcers of global monopoly capital, have demonstrated a worrying indifference to the suffering of the people, choosing instead to transfer the burden of their fiscal negligence onto the already impoverished working masses and thus abandoned the people to the dictates of comprador fat cats.
“NEC-in-session declares that no society can sustainably develop under a regime of corporate plunder and neo-liberal enslavement. The Nigerian working people must therefore remain resolute, organised, and uncompromising in the collective struggle for a fair and equitable Nigeria.
“ON THE URGENT NEED TO COMMENCE RENEGOTIATION OF THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
“The joint meeting observes with grave concern that 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. Nigerian workers can no longer afford the basic necessities of life; food, shelter, healthcare, transportation, and education; on their current wages.
“Consequently, NEC-in-session demands that the federal government commences the renegotiation of the national minimum wage before the end of this month. 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.
“ON THE URGENT NEED TO REDUCE THE PRICE OF PETROL
“The joint meeting reiterates its call on the federal government to work with relevant agencies to immediately reduce the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. The exorbitant pump price of petrol has had a cascading effect on the cost of transportation, food, and other essential goods, further deepening the hardship of workers and the masses. The government must abandon its insensitive policies that have allowed for indiscriminate hikes in the price of petroleum products which has only served to enrich a handful of oil marketers while pauperising the masses.
“ON TAX RELIEF AND WAGE AWARDS FOR WORKERS
“The joint meeting demands that the federal government grant tax relief to workers as agreed and immediately provide Wage Awards to workers to cushion the impact of the rising cost of living. These measures are the bare minimum required to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian workers and restore a measure of dignity to their lives. The government cannot continue to demand sacrifice from workers while not offering any relief to the suffering masses and workers.
“THE JOINT MEETING FURTHER RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS
“The joint meeting issues a two-week ultimatum to the federal government, beginning from Friday, the 9th day of October, 2026 within which it is expected to, among other things:
“* Take measures to reduce the price of petrol across the nation to what it was at the signing of the current national minimum wage in 2024 to cushion the impact of the energy crisis on workers and masses as being done by other nations of the world;
“* Commence the process of renegotiating a new national minimum wage;
“* Implement the dictates of the Terms of Settlement reached with Joint Health Sector Unions & Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU) on the 5th day of February, 2026, and other new demands that have arisen since then.
“* Implement the demands of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC)
“* Failure of which the NLC will be compelled to take remedial steps as would be directed by the relevant Organs.
“NEC-in-session reaffirms the historical responsibility of the NLC to resist all forms of exploitation and oppression. It calls on all affiliates, and progressive allies to remain on high alert and fully prepared to engage in decisive efforts against all anti-people policies. The Congress reiterates that the Nigerian working people must remain resolute, organised, and uncompromising in the collective struggle for a fair and equitable Nigeria.
“Comrade Joe Ajaero
“President.”
