The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed proposals calling for urgent measures to ease the growing economic hardship faced by Nigerian workers, including a reduction in petrol prices and significant improvements in workers’ wages.
The renewed demand comes as civil servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, called on the Federal Government to stabilise the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, at #500 per litre.
The workers also called for an immediate Wage Award and the commencement of negotiations for a new National Minimum Wage ahead of January 2027.
According to reports, the demands were contained in a letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amid concerns over rising living costs and declining purchasing power among workers. The JNPSNC said the increase in petrol prices, reported at about N1,430 per litre or higher in some locations, had worsened the financial pressure on workers and their families.
One of the major demands by the workers is for the Federal Government to reduce and stabilise petrol prices at N500 per litre.
The JNPSNC argued that cheaper petrol could have a wider impact on the economy because transportation costs and the prices of many goods and services are closely linked to fuel costs.
The council also proposed the creation of a fuel intervention fund to help stabilise petrol prices and provide relief to Nigerians during periods of economic pressure.
The workers said the proposed intervention would provide broader relief than food palliatives, which they argued were not a sustainable solution to the rising cost of living.
The workers also endorsed proposals attributed to NLC President Joe Ajaero on how the country could respond to the fuel crisis.
Among the proposals is the sale of crude oil in naira to local refineries, alongside increased national petroleum storage capacity.
The position reflects organised labour’s broader argument that Nigeria should make greater use of its domestic refining capacity and develop measures capable of protecting consumers from international oil-market shocks.
The JNPSNC said it supported these proposals and urged the Federal Government to consider implementing them as part of efforts to address the current economic challenges.
Beyond the demand for cheaper petrol, the workers are also seeking a major review of public-sector salaries.
The JNPSNC proposed a #500,000 monthly minimum salary for an officer on Grade Level 01, Step 1 under a proposed 2027 salary structure.
The council also called for an upward review of salaries and allowances across the public service, including corresponding reviews at the state and local government levels.
It further proposed periodic salary adjustments linked to inflation, as well as welfare measures such as subsidised transportation and affordable housing for civil servants.
However, the proposed #500,000 salary is currently a demand forming part of the workers’ position ahead of negotiations. It is not an approved national minimum wage or an existing government salary structure.
The JNPSNC has also called for the immediate establishment of a committee to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage ahead of its proposed implementation in January 2027.
The council wants discussions involving the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and other relevant stakeholders to begin early.
The workers argued that starting negotiations ahead of time would help prevent delays in reaching an agreement and implementing a new wage framework.
The JNPSNC reportedly gave the Federal Government until Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to respond to its demands.
The council warned that the continuing pressure from rising petrol prices, transportation costs, food prices and other essential expenses was increasing tension among workers and Nigerians.
The demands have therefore placed fuel affordability, immediate wage relief and negotiations for a new minimum wage at the centre of the latest engagement between organised labour and the Federal Government.
For now, the proposed #500 petrol price and #500,000 minimum salary remain labour demands awaiting government consideration and negotiations. Any eventual implementation would depend on decisions by the Federal Government and the outcome of consultations with relevant labour and economic stakeholders.
