Title: Labour Calls for Immediate Suspension of New Tax Laws, Warns of Nationwide Workers’ Backlash Date Published: 07 January 2026 Description: The leadership of organised labour has renewed its call on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the implementation of the newly enacted tax laws, warning that failure to do so could trigger widespread confrontation with workers across the country.The labour movement, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said the drafting and implementation of the tax reforms were carried out without the input of workers in both the public and private sectors, despite their status as major taxpayers.The President of the NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, issued the warning on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at the launch of a memoir in honour of a former NLC President, Comrade Hassan Summonu, to mark his 85th birthday.Ajaero’s remarks come amid growing calls by opposition figures and civil society groups for the suspension of the tax reform laws recently signed by President Bola Tinubu, over fears that the policies could deepen economic hardship and provoke serious social unrest.Speaking at the event, the labour leader argued that the new tax laws place an additional financial burden on low-income earners, describing the legislation as regressive and harmful to workers and the poor.He maintained that Nigerian workers were deliberately excluded from the presidential tax reform process, beginning from the composition of the Presidential Committee on Tax Reform, despite being among the most affected by tax policies.“The tax laws went through a process that clearly excluded Nigerian workers and the masses, who are the major taxpayers in this country,” Ajaero said.“From the Presidential Committee on Tax, from which workers were deliberately excluded, it was obvious that the workers and masses were going to be the target. We warned the nation at every stage, including during the legislative process, but no one listened.”According to him, the outcome of the process is a set of laws that further impoverish workers and low-income Nigerians, rather than providing relief.“Today, the result is clear: laws with serious alterations directed at making workers and the poor poorer. A tax law that imposes heavy burdens on workers and the poor cannot be described as progressive,” he said.Ajaero further criticised provisions that subject the national minimum wage to taxation, insisting that such measures are unfair in a country where millions are already living in severe poverty.“Taxing the national minimum wage is not fair. Taxing the masses who are living in excruciating poverty is regressive,” he added.He argued that the exclusion of labour from the reform process explained why workers’ concerns were ignored and why the laws failed to reflect social equity.The NLC president urged the Federal Government to pause the implementation of the tax laws, review their content, and redirect the reform process to address the welfare of workers and the poor.“Insisting on going ahead is akin to muddling along in confusion and darkness, especially when there are conflicting interpretations of what the law truly says. This is a dangerous pattern that undermines tax administration and, indeed, our democracy,” he warned.Ajaero also called on the government to urgently address the issue of workers’ wages ahead of the next statutory negotiation on the national minimum wage.Concluding his remarks, he pledged that organised labour would continue to mobilise and challenge policies that worsen living conditions for workers.“As we launch Comrade Summonu’s book today, we recommit ourselves to its central message. We will continue to organise, to challenge power, and to fight for a Nigeria where no worker is forced to agonise over poverty, insecurity, heavy taxation or a stolen future burdened by national debt,” he said. Attached Images: f30fa6d2fbc002d443537c0dc24685a2fb499daa6c412c7ea3322fe0102316aa.jpg Attached Video: None