The Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR) has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to move beyond public statements and lead a nationwide protest against what it described as worsening economic hardship under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement signed by its Secretary, Lateef Adams, the organisation said soaring prices of petrol, cooking gas, electricity, and other essential goods and services have made life increasingly unbearable for Nigerian workers.
According to the group, public appeals alone are insufficient to address the country’s economic challenges.
“The struggle against hardship cannot be won through appeals and press statements alone. It requires organised mass action capable of challenging the anti-poor policies of the Tinubu regime and the capitalist interests that profit from the suffering of the people,” Adams said.
SNWR accused labour leaders of failing to translate their criticisms of government policies into coordinated resistance. It argued that wages have remained stagnant, while inflation and persistent increases in the cost of living have significantly eroded the purchasing power of the new ₦70,000 national minimum wage.
The organisation also cited sharp increases in the price of cooking gas and inconsistencies in petrol pricing despite declines in global crude oil prices as evidence of market distortions that continue to undermine workers’ welfare.
According to SNWR, only a nationwide mobilisation led by the NLC and the TUC can exert sufficient pressure on the Federal Government to review policies that, it claimed, prioritise profit over public welfare.
The group further noted that several states have yet to fully implement the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, leaving many workers without the benefits of the revised pay structure.
