Rising Petrol Price: NLC Makes Five Demands From FG

Rising Petrol Price: NLC Makes Five Demands From FG
Union calls for wage award and cost of living allowance.
Labour urges FG to rehabilitate refineries and support workers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress has called for urgent intervention from the federal government following the recent increase in fuel prices linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The labour union said the situation has intensified economic hardship for Nigerian workers and citizens, stressing that the government must act quickly to protect the welfare of the people.

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The demand was contained in a statement issued on Sunday titled “Save Nigerians From This Shock: An Urgent Relief Has Become Necessary,” signed by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero.

In the statement, the labour union called for several relief measures to cushion the rising cost of living. These include the introduction of an immediate wage award and cost of living allowance for workers, expansion and reform of the cash transfer programme to ensure transparency, and tax relief for low income earners.

The union also urged the government to reinvest the expected revenue windfall from rising global crude oil prices into programmes that directly support Nigerians.

“NLC voices the collective anguish of millions of Nigerian workers who are bearing the brutal cost of a global capitalist crisis they did not create. The military escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has sent shock waves through global oil markets. As a result, petrol prices in Nigeria have skyrocketed to between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre.

“This is a direct assault on the Nigerian people. While imperialist rivalries play out abroad with bombs and military escalation, Nigeria’s working class is being bombarded with poverty and hunger because we have failed to ensure that our public refineries are operational.

“This crisis has brutally exposed the fragility of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector. It has stripped away the illusion that local refining alone would shield the country from global shocks. The Dangote Refinery has adjusted its prices in line with global volatility, passing the burden directly to the masses. This undermines the narrative that domestic production alone guarantees price stability.

“As long as Nigeria remains dependent on a market driven pricing structure tied to global fluctuations, and refuses to revive its public refining capacity, the country will remain hostage to international conflicts and market speculation.”

The labour union also demanded the rehabilitation and proper management of public refineries across the country, including those in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.

According to the NLC, if the country’s refineries were fully operational, Nigeria would be less vulnerable to global price shocks.

“The NLC had earlier warned about the danger of sabotaging public refineries in ways that could create monopolistic control in the downstream sector. This moment must serve as a wake up call to the managers of Nigeria’s economy.

“No nation achieves economic independence by exporting jobs and importing prices. The government must immediately halt the decay of the public sector and ensure the full rehabilitation and operation of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.

“The soaring cost of petrol, PMS, and diesel has made transportation a heavy burden on workers. Food inflation continues to rise, while meagre wages are being swallowed by the rising cost of living. When workers cannot afford transportation to their workplaces, the economy stalls. When families cannot afford three meals a day, society sits on a keg of gunpowder.

“Recent projections by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group indicate that Nigeria may gain an estimated N30 trillion oil windfall from the ongoing Middle East crisis.

“Nigerian workers are being pauperized and subjected to immense suffering. Workers are not statistics, they are the engine of the nation. When the engine overheats, the entire vehicle crashes.

“The estimated N30 trillion oil windfall expected from the Middle East crisis must not disappear like previous windfalls. These resources must be invested in the Nigerian people and used to cushion the economic hardship caused by the current crisis.

“The government must engage in sincere social dialogue with Nigerian workers and the broader citizenry. Using the Middle East crisis as a justification for policies that deepen poverty is unacceptable. The primary duty of the government is to ensure the welfare and security of its citizens. We demand action. We demand justice. We demand survival,” the NLC added.