The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a final ultimatum to the Federal Government demanding an immediate reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, to N500 per litre. The labour union warned that failure to meet its demands by Wednesday, September 30, 2026, will trigger a nationwide warning strike beginning Friday, October 2, 2026.
Labour Declares Survival Crisis
In a strongly worded Independence Day statement signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, the labour union declared that Nigerian workers now stand “at the crossroads of a full-scale survival crisis.” The statement, issued on September 30, 2026, accused the government of failing to address the devastating impact of the May 2023 petrol subsidy removal on ordinary Nigerians.
“The real value of wages has been devoured by structural inflation,” the NLC said. “Petrol now sells at N1,430 per litre or higher in major cities and far more in remote areas. The surge in transportation costs drives up the prices of food, school fees, rent, and nearly every necessity of life, while nominal wages remain stagnant.”
The labour centre argued that without cutting the chain of high fuel costs, “any effort to ease the suffering of the people is futile.”
Three Critical Demands from NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress, working alongside the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), has outlined three critical demands that must be addressed immediately:
1. Petrol Price Reduction to N500 Per Litre
The NLC and JNPSNC are demanding that the Federal Government take urgent steps to reduce the pump price of petrol to N500 per litre. According to the unions, this can be achieved through the provision of an intervention fund to address landing costs and support oil and gas operators.
The council also called for crude oil to be sold to the Dangote Refinery and operators of modular refineries at appropriate terms to facilitate increased domestic refining and help bring down the price of petroleum products.
“The current price of PMS, ranging from N1,450 to N2,000 and, in some locations outside major communities and cities, as high as N2,500 per litre, is unacceptable to Nigerian workers,” the JNPSNC stated.
2. Immediate Nationwide Wage Award
The labour unions are demanding the immediate implementation of a nationwide wage award for workers in the federal, state, and local governments. The NLC described this as an emergency intervention against the collapse of real income, not charity.
“A wage award is not charity. It is an emergency intervention against the collapse of real income,” the NLC said.
The demand comes against the backdrop of the October 2023 agreement between the Federal Government and organised labour following the removal of the petrol subsidy, which provided for a N35,000 monthly wage award for federal workers.
3. Immediate Constitution of Tripartite Committee for New Minimum Wage
The NLC and JNPSNC are demanding the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage expected to take effect in 2027.
“The current N70,000 minimum wage was already destroyed by inflation before it was implemented,” the NLC said. “We need the immediate constitution of the committee to ensure that a new wage standard for 2027 is formulated and legislated before the year runs out.”
The unions argued that early commencement of the process would prevent administrative delays that could affect the implementation of a new national minimum wage after negotiations and legislative approval.
Public Servants Mobilize for Warning Strike
The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), which comprises eight public sector unions including the Nigerian Civil Service Union, Medical and Health Workers Union, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, has mobilized its members nationwide for the proposed warning strike.
In a statement signed by Olowoyo Gbenga, National Secretary of the JNPSNC and General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, the council warned that the September 30 deadline remains sacrosanct.
“Failure by the Federal Government to take necessary steps to address these issues on or before September 30, 2026, will leave Nigerian workers with no option but to commence a three-day warning strike, with effect from Friday, October 2, 2026, to press home their demands,” the statement read.
The NLC has thrown its full weight behind the public sector unions. NLC Assistant General Secretary Chris Onyeka confirmed the labour centre’s support, stating that most of the public sector unions involved are NLC affiliates.
“We are in support of the actions being taken by the public sector unions. The situation in the country has become so bad. What public sector workers are going through and feeling is what other Nigerians, whether private-sector workers, state workers, or informal-sector workers, are also feeling,” Onyeka said.
Government Accused of Abandoning Workers
The NLC also accused the Federal Government of abandoning Nigerian workers and failing to account for the savings from the petrol subsidy removal. The labour union questioned where the resources from the subsidy removal had gone, three years after Nigerians were told they would be redirected to infrastructure and social services.
“Government claimed subsidy removal would free up resources for infrastructure and social services. Three years later, petrol prices have multiplied several times over, yet the promised infrastructure and social services remain mirages. Where exactly did the subsidy savings go? Nigerians deserve an answer, and they deserve it now,” the NLC said.
The union also criticized Nigeria’s continued reliance on imported refined petroleum despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, arguing that the situation had left the working class exposed to fluctuations in international oil prices.
Workers Reject Food Palliatives
The JNPSNC rejected the government’s provision of food palliatives as a solution to the economic crisis, describing such interventions as unsustainable and inaccessible to the majority of Nigerians.
“It has dawned on Nigerian workers that the provision of palliatives, such as bags of rice, Indomie, vegetable oil, garri, among other edible foods, is as good as weaponising Nigerians with poverty because it is a pyrrhic intervention which is unsustainable, inaccessible to the majority of Nigeria’s population and also limited to political cronies,” the council stated.
Instead, the unions argued that reducing petrol prices to N500 per litre would provide broad economic relief by reducing transportation and food production costs across the country.
Tax Relief and Governance Demands
Beyond the immediate demands, the NLC is also calling on the government to implement the tax relief agreed upon during the October 2023 dialogue between the government and labour. The union said the tax incentives contained in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both sides had not been implemented.
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The labour centre also demanded a reduction in the cost of governance and greater transparency in public spending, arguing that government must lead by example when workers are being asked to tighten their belts.
“When workers are asked to tighten their belts, the extravagance and waste of the governing class are unacceptable. Government must lead by example,” the NLC said.
Broader Economic and Social Concerns
The NLC’s Independence Day statement also addressed broader issues affecting Nigerian workers and the general population. The union called for increased investment in roads, hospitals, schools, and other social infrastructure, arguing that good roads were essential to reducing transportation costs and improving economic efficiency.
On insecurity, the labour centre said violence had worsened the macroeconomic situation and threatened national stability. It noted that nearly 2,000 Nigerians died from violence in the first quarter of 2026, adding that farmers, teachers, and doctors were unable to work in some places.
“Without addressing distributive justice, insecurity cannot be cured, and without curing insecurity, no economic recovery is possible,” the NLC said.
The union also called for the creation of genuine opportunities for young Nigerians, warning that unemployment, poverty, and inequality were contributing to desperation and irregular migration.
“The government must create genuine opportunities so that young people can see hope instead of being preached to about hope,” the NLC said.
Political Warning Ahead of 2027 Elections
As political campaigns begin ahead of the 2027 general elections, the NLC warned political forces against manipulating elections, intimidating voters, or using divisive rhetoric to incite ethnic and religious antagonism.
The union said it would, at the appropriate time, use its Workers’ Charter to state which policies and candidates it considers deserving of the support of the working class.
However, it stressed that workers have the right to independent political thoughts, judgement, and choice.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress will always stand on the side of workers, fighting to the end for decent wages, safe workplaces, and a life of dignity,” Ajaero said.
What Happens Next
All eyes are now on President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast, which the JNPSNC has said must adequately address the concerns raised by workers. If the government fails to meet the September 30 deadline, the three-day warning strike will commence on Friday, October 2, 2026.
The NLC has warned that the action could snowball into a full-blown national strike involving workers across all sectors of the economy if the government fails to act decisively.
Nigerians are watching closely as the standoff between organised labour and the Federal Government enters a critical phase that could determine the direction of the country’s economic and industrial relations in the coming months.
Oluwaseun Oluwadare is an Entertainment Blogger at Wiseloaded Media.
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