The leadership of organised labour has renewed its call on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the implementation of the newly introduced tax laws, warning that failure to do so could trigger widespread resistance from workers across the country.
The organised labour movement, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), argued that workers in both the public and private sectors were excluded from the drafting and implementation process of the tax reforms, despite being major contributors to the nation’s tax base.
The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, issued the warning on Wednesday in Abuja during the launch of a memoir in honour of a former NLC President, Hassan Summonu, held alongside celebrations marking his 85th birthday.
According to Daily Trust, opposition figures and labour groups have intensified calls for the suspension of the tax reform laws recently signed by President Bola Tinubu, citing fears that the policies could worsen economic hardship and provoke serious social consequences.
Speaking at the event, Ajaero described the tax laws as regressive, insisting that they place an additional financial burden on low-income earners and deepen the suffering of workers and the poor.
“The tax laws went through a process that clearly excluded Nigerian workers and the masses, who are the major taxpayers in this country,” he said. “From the Presidential Committee on Tax, where workers were deliberately excluded, it became obvious that the outcome would be unfavourable to the working class.”
He lamented that repeated warnings by labour during both the executive and legislative stages of the reforms were ignored, leading to what he described as laws designed to make workers and the poor poorer.
“Any tax law that imposes a heavy burden on workers and taxes the national minimum wage cannot be described as fair or progressive,” Ajaero stated. “Taxing people already living in extreme poverty is unjust and economically dangerous.”
The labour leader urged the Federal Government to pause the implementation of the tax laws, review contentious provisions, and engage critical stakeholders to restore public confidence.
“Insisting on moving ahead without addressing these concerns is a dangerous path that undermines tax administration and weakens our democracy,” he warned. “True democracy is built on the rule of law, institutional integrity, and governance that serves the many, not the few.”
Ajaero also called on the government to fully constitute the board of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) and strengthen engagement with labour unions on policies affecting workers. He further reiterated labour’s demand for urgent action on workers’ wages ahead of the next statutory negotiations on the national minimum wage.
Concluding his remarks, the NLC President said organised labour would continue to mobilise and challenge policies that threaten the welfare of Nigerian workers, stressing that sustainable democracy must deliver not only political freedom but economic justice for the people.
