NLC and the TUC must call for a 48-hour Warning General Strike against Increasing Hardship and Insecurity

The Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA) joined millions of Nigerian workers to mark the 2026 International Workers’ Day across the country. With just a few months to the general elections, the ruling elites used the occasion in many states to unofficially commence political campaigns, even though formal campaigns are yet to begin.

Traditionally, Workers’ Day should be a period for workers and trade union leadership to raise strong demands for improved working conditions and better welfare. This is especially important in the current period of worsening inflation caused by the hike in petrol prices following the war involving the US/Israel, and Iran. The price of petrol rose from around ₦800 to over ₦1300 per litre, representing over a 60 percent increase. Consequently, the prices of goods, transportation, and basic commodities, especially food items, have skyrocketed beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.

Despite the worsening hardship and rising cost of living, the Tinubu regime has made little or no meaningful effort to alleviate the suffering of the masses. Many state governments still find it difficult to pay even the meagre ₦70,000 minimum wage to workers.

From one state to another, the May Day events followed almost the same pattern. Rather than serving as a platform for workers to protest anti-worker policies and programmes, the events became campaign grounds for state governors and political office holders. The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) appear to have surrendered May 1st celebrations to state governments and the ruling elites.

In Abuja, the National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, raised concerns about the growing insecurity across the country, which was the theme of this year’s May Day celebration. Surprisingly, however, Ajaero also commended the Tinubu regime for the reintroduction of gratuity payments and efforts to address pension arrears. This represents a low point for the labour movement, especially at a time when many workers are still being denied their hard-earned wages and entitlements.

While both the NLC and TUC presidents spoke against the hardship faced by workers, there remains a lack of coordinated action to challenge the anti-worker policies of the current regime. Their speeches largely ended as headlines for newspapers, but what workers urgently need at this critical time are leaders prepared to organise concrete actions capable of winning meaningful gains for the working masses.

In states like Lagos, the May Day celebration became more of an endorsement rally for the deputy governor, who is widely seen as the likely candidate of the ruling party in the coming general elections. The Lagos State NLC chairperson repeatedly appealed to workers to vote for him because he is “loyal”, a word she used several times in describing the deputy governor.

In Osun and Ekiti states, where governorship elections are fast approaching, the situation was even more glaring. Our paper was almost prevented from entering the venue by individuals loyal to the state governments. The venues were flooded with political propaganda aimed at campaigning for the sitting governors rather than addressing the pressing needs of workers.

Similar scenarios played out across other parts of the country, with little or no genuine challenge to the corrupt neoliberal policies responsible for worsening insecurity, inflation, unemployment, and the high cost of living. Although the 2026 May Day theme centred on insecurity, most speeches by NLC and TUC leaders were limited to appeals for improved security without linking the crisis to the broader failures of the capitalist system.

The May Day edition of Solidarity newspaper carried articles calling on workers to use the occasion to organise against capitalism. The back-page article titled “Workers’ Struggle Gave Birth to May Day” carried the rider: “May Day Shouldn’t Be a Jamboree or a Day to Agonise but a Day to Organise Against Capitalism.”

The paper received wide acceptance among workers, with over 300 copies sold across the 10 states where we intervened. This is an important step towards organising the working masses against neoliberal policies and building a united workers’ movement capable of challenging the corrupt ruling elites and their anti-poor programmes. With over ten thousand leaflets produced, the May Day event also served as a starting point for the organisation’s campaign against exploitation in the electricity sector, as well as the campaign for the renationalisation of the sector. Across the states where we intervened, over 5,000 leaflets were distributed, with many workers identifying with the initiative.

In Ogun State, workers identified with the campaign and confirmed their readiness to support the struggle within their communities. The same was recorded in Kaduna, where workers also expressed support for the campaign and assisted in distributing the leaflets to other workers.

The leadership of the NLC and TUC must begin to seriously organise resistance against the policies that continue to fuel insecurity, inflation, unemployment, and the rising cost of living. Mere statements and routine demands will not bring meaningful change for working people. Only mass struggle and coordinated action under the leadership of organised labour can force concessions from the ruling class.

It is on this basis that we in the Movement for a Socialist Alternative MSA call on the NLC and TUC to declare a 48-hour general strike against the increasing hardship in the country. Such a struggle should raise demands, including the proper functioning of the country’s refineries, the nationalisation of the electricity sector under democratic public control, and a substantial increase in the minimum wage to reflect current economic realities.

Members of the Joint Action Front (JAF), which includes the MSA, held a protest march to draw the attention of the Lagos State Government to the plight of workers and the masses, while also using the opportunity to demand the recall of the ASUU-LASU 5 lecturers sacked unjustly for demanding a better system.