By AnchorNews Reporter

LAGOS — The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has backed the demand by public sector workers for a reduction in petrol price to N500 per litre and an increase in the national minimum wage to N500,000, as workers grapple with rising living costs.

The demand was contained in a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, Trade Union Side.

The workers also called for the immediate constitution of a committee to commence negotiations on a new national minimum wage ahead of January 2027.

The labour unions gave the Federal Government until September 30, 2026, to respond to their demands, warning that the worsening economic situation was generating increasing tension among workers and Nigerians.

According to the workers, the recent rise in petrol prices to about N1,430 per litre or higher in some locations had further aggravated the cost-of-living crisis and increased the prices of essential goods and services.

The JNPSNC said the removal of fuel subsidy had triggered a sharp increase in petrol prices, with consequential effects across the economy.

It argued that food palliatives alone could not provide a sustainable solution to the hardship confronting Nigerians, calling instead for measures that would reduce the cost of fuel and improve