By Moses Akwashiki, Abuja
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has called on the Federal Government to implement a 50 percent reduction in taxes on manufacturing companies and workers as part of urgent measures to ease the growing economic hardship facing Nigerians.
The demand was part of resolutions reached at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Congress held Monday in Abuja, where key national issues affecting workers and the economy were extensively reviewed.
In a communiqué jointly signed by the President Comrade Festus Osifo and Secretary General, Comrade Nuhu Toro issued at the end of the meeting, the TUC stressed that high taxation, combined with rising inflation, energy costs, and exchange rate pressures, has significantly increased the cost of living and weakened productivity across sectors.
The Congress urged the Federal Government to adopt policies that prioritise the protection and welfare of citizens, warning that current economic realities are becoming increasingly unbearable for workers and the general populace.
On global developments, NEC expressed concern over the ongoing Iran–US conflict, noting its implications for Nigeria’s economy, particularly in energy pricing, supply chains, and inflation.
The Council observed that despite Nigeria’s oil-producing status, citizens continue to suffer from rising fuel prices and associated costs.
TUC called on the government to treat the situation as both a foreign policy and domestic economic emergency, urging immediate steps to protect Nigerians abroad, strengthen local refining capacity, and ensure transparency in the use of additional oil revenues.
The Council also raised alarm over worsening insecurity across the country, describing it as a major economic and labour crisis. It noted that persistent violence including kidnappings, banditry, and farm invasions has disrupted livelihoods, reduced food production, and forced businesses to shut down.
The Congress called for a coordinated, intelligence-driven security framework and urged the government to prioritise the protection of farms, highways, workplaces, and communities.
On fuel pricing, TUC warned against further increases in the pump price of petroleum products, linking rising costs to global oil volatility, foreign exchange challenges, and domestic supply constraints. It recommended that excess crude revenue be used to support local refineries as a way of stabilising prices without reverting to fuel subsidy regimes.
The NEC also criticised the continuous increase in electricity tariffs without corresponding improvement in service delivery. It described the current billing system as unfair, citing estimated billing and poor supply despite higher charges.
TUC demanded universal metering, improved power supply, and greater accountability from electricity distribution companies, insisting that consumers should not be made to pay for inefficiencies.
While acknowledging the Federal Government’s ₦10 billion housing loan scheme for civil servants, the Congress urged that the initiative be transparent, accessible, and free from bureaucratic bottlenecks. It also called on state governments to replicate similar interventions for workers at all levels.
The Council further condemned the growing trend of casualisation in the private sector, urging the Ministry of Labour to take decisive action to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation.
On industrial relations, TUC expressed concern over the dispute between regulatory authorities and companies in the food and beverage sector, calling on the Minister of Health to facilitate dialogue and resolution.
The Congress reaffirmed its commitment to defending workers’ rights and warned that it would not hesitate to mobilise if government policies continue to undermine the welfare and dignity of Nigerian workers.
