NLC Demands Wage Increase and Lower Petrol Prices

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), under the leadership of President Joe Ajaero, has issued demands for an immediate reduction in petrol prices and the initiation of negotiations for a new national minimum wage. This call comes in an Independence Day statement, highlighting the erosion of workers' purchasing power due to rising costs of living, particularly following the removal of petrol subsidies in 2023.

The NLC noted that petrol prices have surged to N1,430 per litre or higher, significantly impacting transportation and, consequently, the prices of essential goods and services. The union emphasized the need for a nationwide wage award as an emergency response to declining real incomes, arguing that the current N70,000 minimum wage, approved by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024, has been undermined by inflation.

The NLC also criticized the government's failure to implement tax relief measures agreed upon in an October 2023 Memorandum of Understanding and called for the establishment of a tripartite committee to formulate a new wage standard for 2027.