Nigeria Labour Congress, on Thursday, gave the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to slash petrol price and commence renegotiation of the national minimum wage.
The ultimatum is contained in a communiqué signed by NLC president, Joe Ajaero, after a joint meeting of the National Executive Counciland Central Working Committee on Thursday in Abuja.
The meeting deliberated on the state of the nation, economic hardship, rising cost of living and what the NLC described as existential threats confronting workers and the masses.
In the communiqué, Ajaero said the Federal Government should reduce petrol prices to the level prevailing when the current national minimum wage was signed into law in 2024.
It reads, “The joint meeting issues a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government, beginning from Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
“Within this period, government is expected to take measures to reduce the price of petrol across the nation and commence the process of renegotiating a new national minimum wage.
“Failure of which the NLC will be compelled to take remedial steps as would be directed by the relevant organs.”
Ajaero said the current national minimum wage had been eroded by the depreciation of the naira and rising cost of living, leaving workers unable to afford basic necessities.
The NLC president demanded that the Federal Government would commence renegotiation of the minimum wage before the end of October, saying workers deserved a living wage that reflected prevailing economic realities.
While calling for an immediate reduction in the price of petrol, Ajaero said that high petrol price had driven up transportation fares and the cost of food and other essential goods, worsening the hardship facing Nigerians.
He further demanded implementation of the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU) on February 5, 2026.
The NLC president also demanded implementation of the outstanding demands of the joint public sector negotiating council (JPSNC), as well as agreed tax relief measures.
He called for immediate payment of wage awards to workers to cushion the impact of rising living costs, saying the government must provide relief to workers facing worsening economic pressure.
Ajaero urged workers and NLC affiliates to remain organised and prepared to respond if the federal government failed to meet the demands within the stipulated period.
He reaffirmed the NLC’s commitment to defending workers’ interests, urging affiliates and progressive allies to remain on high alert.
The development follows the conclusion of the three-day warning strike embarked on by public servants under the aegis of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) over the failure of the federal government to cut the petrol price to N500 per litre and commence fresh negotiation on new national minimum wage.
President Bola Tinubu signed the current N70,000 National Minimum Wage Act into law on July 29, 2024.
At the time, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) sold petrol at N580 per litre at its retail stations, while the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) put the national average price of the commodity at N770.54 per litre.
In response to public outcry over high cost of petrol, Taiwo Oyedele, minister of finance, said the Federal Government is negotiating a price ceiling of N1,350 per litre on the ex-gantry or landing cost of petrol.
Speaking on Thursday at a press conference on petrol subsidy in Abuja, Oyedele said the plan aims to stabilise pump prices.
