Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to reduce the price of petrol and commence renegotiation of the national minimum wage, warning that it would be compelled to take further action if the demands are not met.
The ultimatum, which takes effect from Friday, October 9, was issued by the National Executive Council (NEC) and Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Congress at a joint meeting held at the Olaitan Oyerinde Hall, Labour House, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The labour centre also demanded immediate wage awards and tax relief for workers, while calling on the government to implement the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU), as well as the demands of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC).
In a communiqué signed by NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the Congress said the current economic situation had rendered workers’ wages inadequate, insisting that the government could no longer delay measures to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
The NLC directed the Federal Government to take measures to reduce the pump price of petrol across the country to the level it was when the current national minimum wage was signed in 2024.
It said the measure was necessary to address the impact of rising energy costs on workers and the general population.
According to the Congress, “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 labour centre accused the government of pursuing policies that had worsened the economic burden on Nigerians, saying it could no longer remain indifferent to the consequences of rising prices on workers’ purchasing power.
On the national minimum wage, the NLC demanded that the Federal Government should begin the renegotiation process before the end of October.
It argued that the current wage had been eroded by the depreciation of the naira and the rising cost of basic necessities, including food, housing, healthcare, transportation and education.
The Congress said: “Nigerian workers can no longer afford the basic necessities of life; food, shelter, healthcare, transportation, and education; on their current wages.”
It consequently demanded “a living wage that reflects the true cost of living and the dignity of the Nigerian worker,” declaring that any further delay in commencing the renegotiation was unacceptable.
The latest demand comes amid growing pressure from organised labour for government to review workers’ earnings in response to the continuing increase in the cost of living.
The NLC further demanded that the Federal Government should honour its commitment to grant tax relief to workers and immediately introduce wage awards to cushion the effects 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 declared.
It warned that government could not continue to demand sacrifice from workers without providing corresponding relief to the workforce and the wider population.
The labour centre also brought the unresolved issues in the health sector and the public service into its latest ultimatum, directing the government to implement the terms of settlement reached with JOHESU and the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals on February 5, 2026.
It equally demanded implementation of the demands of the JPSNC, further widening the scope of issues that could shape the next phase of the labour-government engagement.
The NLC said failure by the government to meet the demands within the two weeks would leave the Congress with no option but to take further steps.
“Failure of which the NLC will be compelled to take remedial steps as would be directed by the relevant organs,” the communiqué stated.
The Congress, however, did not specify the nature of the remedial measures, leaving the decision to its relevant organs after the expiration of the ultimatum.
The labour centre said its position was informed by what it described as the “deepening misery” confronting Nigerian workers and the wider population.
It expressed concern that inflation, naira depreciation and rising living costs had combined to erode the purchasing power of workers, insisting that the situation required urgent intervention.
The NLC said: “No society can sustainably develop under a regime of corporate plunder and neo-liberal enslavement.”
It called on its affiliates and progressive allies to remain on high alert and prepare for what it described as “decisive efforts” against policies it considers anti-people.
The Congress reaffirmed its commitment to resisting what it described as exploitation and oppression, urging Nigerian workers to remain “resolute, organised, and uncompromising” in the struggle for what it termed a fair and equitable Nigeria.
