May Day: Workers in pain, impoverished, dehumanised, NLC laments

Today, Nigerian workers join their counterparts worldwide to mark May Day, also known as Workers’ Day.

However, rather than celebrating, workers in Nigeria find little cause for joy. Like many other citizens, the worsening socio-economic situation has further deteriorated their living conditions, leaving many impoverished.

Summing up the plight of Nigerian workers, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, lamented that since the current administration took office, workers have been under severe strain.

According to NLC: “It has been one anti-worker policy after another. From last May Day to today, it has been excruciating and painful.”

Speaking on the situation, NLC President Joe Ajaero stated: “It is unfortunate, but the reality is that within the capitalist system, we are constantly compelled to live in a society divided into two classes: the oppressed and the oppressors; the bosses and the workers; the haves and the have-nots. That situation has only worsened since the last May Day celebration. We have been impoverished and dehumanized.

“The struggles we face as workers and as citizens of Nigeria are immense—from neoliberal economic policies that impoverish workers to relentless attacks on labour rights.

The ruling elite have ganged up against the workers and the masses. They belong to virtually one party and speak with one voice—one that promotes impoverishment, exploitation, and slavish wages.

“Today, the Nigerian worker stands at a crossroads—not just in a national crisis but amidst a global assault on labour. Capitalism, in its insatiable hunger, devours jobs, strips dignity from work, and widens the chasm of inequality. The state, which should be the guardian of justice, seems to have become the enforcer of exploitative and oppressive policies dictated by Bretton Woods institutions.

Amidst all this, however, our movement remains the strongest and most vibrant on the African continent. We have remained united despite numerous attempts to sow division among us. We worked together to negotiate the National Minimum Wage and have remained steadfast in our engagements with the state.

Even in this darkness, we find our purpose. The trade union movement was not born from comfort—it was forged in resistance. Our power does not come from the benevolence of the elite but from the unity of the exploited. We must not forget the struggle to compel the state to agree to a N70,000 National Minimum Wage, which is being implemented in breach by many state governments and even the federal government.

“The fight for the full implementation of the National Minimum Wage is ongoing across many states. We must brace ourselves to ensure that all states and the private sector comply with the law, even as we begin to push for a wage review beyond the minimum to address the widespread hardship.

“To those who still doubt: the time for hesitation is over. Every worker must awaken to the truth that our liberation will not be gifted—it must be won. We must act not only for ourselves but for future generations. The ruling class fears only one thing: our collective refusal to remain in servitude. Let us build a movement that does not merely negotiate for crumbs, but demands a fair share of the bread we have baked.”