Onyebuchi Ezigbo takes a have a look at numerous calls for and place of the 2 Labour Centres – Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress – over the biting price of residing within the nation. While NLC is demanding outright discount of the pump worth of petrol to about N668 per litre, TUC, on its half, is in search of a revaluation of the Naira to alternate at N800 to a greenback in order to set off discount of gas worth to about N600 per litre.
When organised labour speaks, authorities often listens with one ear open for the sound of strike drums.
But this October, the sound coming from Labour House just isn’t a single beat. It is 2 totally different rhythms for similar vacation spot – bringing down the price of residing going through Nigerian staff.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which is the extra militant of the 2 centres, drawing extra of it’s members from common and low revenue earners has bluntly demanded an outright discount within the pump worth of petrol to at the very least half of it’s present price. Bring petrol again to N668.30 per litre, it stated. That was the worth when President Bola Tinubu signed the N70,000 minimal wage into legislation in July 2024.
On the opposite aspect, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in a extra technocratic posturing stated: Don’t simply slash pump worth, repair the alternate price of Naira to N800 to at least one Dollar and the pump worth will fall to N600 by itself.
Two Labour Centres, one ache, two prescriptions. At the identical time the federal authorities seems to be torn in between two tough decisions of abandoning it’s professed coverage of complete elimination of subsidy, floating of nationwide forex and restoring the subsidy and intervening to shore up the Naira worth.
NLC’s Ultimatum: Return To 2024 Fuel Price Level:
The NLC fired first. On October 7, 2026, after its National Executive Council and Central Working Committee converged on the Olaitan Oyerinde Hall at Labour House, Abuja. The ambiance, based on communiqué signed by President Comrade Joe Ajaero, was sombre.
“The joint meeting-in-session notes with profound alarm the deepening misery inflicted on the Nigerian working class… Inflation continues to soar unabated, the Naira remains traumatised, wages have been rendered worthless, and the cost of living has become unbearable,” the communique reads.
Its decision was direct. A two-week ultimatum starting Friday, October 9, for presidency to: cut back petrol worth to what it was at signing of present minimal wage in 2024; begin renegotiation of a brand new nationwide minimal wage; implement February 5, 2026 Terms of Settlement with it’s affiliate – the Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU); and implement calls for of Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council or will probably be compelled to take remedial steps.
For NLC, the argument is ethical and mathematical. as at mid 2024, when minimal wage was fastened at N70,000, petrol was N668.30 per litre. Today petrol hovers above N1,400 in lots of cities. That means the wage has misplaced over 40 % of its vitality buying energy earlier than meals and transport are even thought of. In NLC ‘s view, bringing petrol again to N668 will solely restore the unique cut price.
NLC additionally demanded tax aid and wage awards, insisting authorities “cannot continue to demand sacrifice from workers while not offering any relief.”
However, for TUC the prognosis of the current vitality disaster and it’s biting impression on the populace ought to be tackled by first figuring out it’s causative components which Is the alternate price debacle.
Before it’s newest advice on the revaluation of the Naira, TUC had earlier urged the federal government to see if it may well plough again a part of the additional revenue or windfall from unbudgeted increased crude oil costs to subsidize native refineries to trigger a discount in the price of their product for home market.
In 2024, TUC had introduced a 15-point demand with alternate price as central. It has not shifted. Last week, TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo mounted the rostrum after the Congress NEC assembly to additional demand that Federal authorities upgrades the worth of the Naira which within the union’s view has been grossly undervalued.
“High exchange rate of Naira to a Dollar is central to rising cost of goods including the pump price of petrol,” he stated.
Osifo acknowledged enhancements: macroeconomics choosing up, inflation attaining some stability, alternate price gaining energy.
While commending the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, he, nonetheless, stated N1,300 to $1 official price continues to be a failure.
“We still believe that Naira should be somewhere between seven to 800 Naira to $1. At 400 it was overvalued. At 1,300 it is undervalued. It is not trading at the strength it should,” Osifo argued, citing native and worldwide suppose tanks.
This is the TUC path. Nigeria imports refined gas, even with Dangote Refinery and Port Harcourt working, pricing stays import-parity linked. Every Dollar rise provides to pump worth. Strengthen Naira to N800/$, you narrow import invoice by virtually 40 %, you narrow petrol to about N600, you additionally reduce price of medication, college charges linked to Dollar, spare components and meals imports. It isn’t just gas, it’s all the things.
On wages, TUC is extra affected person. It expects formal minimal wage talks by February 2027, six months to expiration of Minimum Wage Act, however desires rapid talks on allowances and wage awards. It additionally backed warning strike by Joint National Council of federal staff and pledged to escalate if unresolved, and waded into JOHESU well being dispute and the Niger tragedy the place about 30 minors reportedly died in NSCDC custody, demanding culprits be punished.
From all indications, it seems that the Labour Centres are adopting totally different techniques to drive dwelling the demand of the employees for higher residing circumstances within the face of harsh financial scenario within the nation.
The distinction isn’t just financial; it’s strategic. NLC desires a right away, administratively decided aid – authorities ought to order NNPCL and entrepreneurs to drop worth, even when it means subsidy or worth modulation. Quick win for staff, however with fiscal price.
On the opposite hand, TUC desires a market-correcting structural repair – financial coverage that makes Naira really replicate its worth, which can naturally drag down petrol and normal inflation, however requires CBN reforms, improved greenback provide, oil manufacturing and investor confidence.
Labour watchers say each NLC and TUC could also be proper however incomplete of their submissions. A stronger Naira to N800 would certainly crash petrol beneath N600 with out subsidy, however can CBN maintain N800 with out burning reserves? A compelled worth reduce to N668 would immediately relieve staff, however with out Forex reform, queues and shortage might return.
What unites them is urgency. The present minimal wage, which appeared like victory in 2024, now buys much less Garri than it did then. Organised Labour, which has been comparatively quiet in 2026, is smelling the 2027 pre-election air the place authorities is extra more likely to concede. For President Tinubu’s authorities, the clock is ticking away. NLC ultimatum lapses on October 23, 2026. TUC has not given a date however its warning on escalation of federal staff’ strike provides weight. If authorities ignores the 2 labour unions, it dangers a joint motion – NLC shutting down financial exercise, TUC additionally crippling oil sector experience led by PENGASSAN, its affiliate physique headed by Osifo himself. That mixture grounded Nigeria in 2012 and 2024. The query now could be whether or not Abuja will select NLC’s fast reduce, TUC’s robust Naira, or, as usually occurs, a center highway that satisfies neither of the 2 events.
