Ajaero: Unfair to expect NLC shutdown over every N1 fuel increase
NLC President Joe Ajaero says it's unfair to expect the labour union to shut down the economy over every N1 per litre fuel price increase in Nigeria's deregulated downstream sector. He made this clear Wednesday on Channels Television, visibly irritated when questioned about his three-year performance as NLC president.
The context: fuel now sells between ₦1,370 and ₦1,429 per litre in Abuja, according to Daily Post. NLC had threatened a nationwide shutdown on October 27 over rising fuel prices and the minimum wage review, but the Tinubu administration intervened with a ₦70,000 transport allowance for federal civil servants.
Ajaero insists NLC has been vocal against economic hardship but argues the deregulated market means prices will fluctuate—labour can't strike over every adjustment. The transport allowance provides temporary relief for public workers, but private sector employees and informal workers get nothing.
With fuel prices this high and deregulation entrenched, the real question isn't whether NLC should strike—it's what sustainable alternatives exist for workers whose wages haven't kept pace. Will the transport allowance become a permanent fixture, or is this just a pause before the next confrontation?