The Nigerian Labour Congress was founded in December 1978, as a merger of four different organisations: the
Nigeria Trade Union Congress (NTUC),
Labour Unity Front (LUF),
United Labour Congress (ULC) and
Nigeria Workers' Council (NWC). However, the recently established Federal Military Government, led by
Murtala Mohammed, refused to recognise the new organisation, and instead set up the Adebiyi Tribunal to investigate the activities of trade unions and their leaders. The Tribunal reported in 1976 and claimed that all the existing trade union centres propagated
Cold War ideologies, depended on funding from international union federations, and mismanaged funds. This was used as a justification to ban all four centres, with M. O. Abiodun appointed as the administrator of trade unions. He accepted the establishment of a new Nigeria Labour Congress, on the condition that the approximately 1,500 affiliated unions were restructured into 42 industrial unions, plus 19 unions representing senior staff. In 1978, the Nigeria Labour Congress was established, with the 42 industrial unions affiliated. It was to be the only legal trade union federation. During its history, conflicts with the military regime twice led to the dissolution of the NLC's national organs, the first in 1988 under the military regime of General
Ibrahim Babangida and the second in 1994, under the regime of General
Sani Abacha. In 1996, the 42 affiliates of the NLC were merged into 29, by Act of Parliament. The price increases are the result of decisions by the
Olusegun Obasanjo government to dramatically reduce subsidies and to deregulate the purchase and sale of fuel. The NLC has led several general strikes protesting the government's fuel price policy. In September 2004, the NLC gave the federal government an ultimatum to reverse the decision to reintroduce the controversial fuel tax or face a nationwide protest strike. The strike threat was made despite the fact that a Federal High Court judgement in an earlier dispute had declared the organisation lacking legal power to call a general strike over government policies. Following the announcement of the strike plans, the NLC claimed President
Adams Oshiomhole was arrested October 9, 2004 at a protest at
Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport. According to the organisation, Oshiomhole was "abducted by a team of operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) numbering over fifteen, who overpowered him, wrestled him to the ground and bundled him into a standby Peugeot 504 station wagon, which bore no licence plates." The State Security Services called the claim "sensational and inaccurate reporting", saying that the NLC president had a "misunderstanding" with field operatives, but that the matter was soon resolved. A presidential spokesperson claimed that Oshiomhole was only invited for a "chat" at the airport, no arrest having taken place. In 2005, the law was changed to permit other trade union federation to receive government recognition, and also to permit senior staff unions to join the NLC. By the end of the year, it had 43 affiliates, which as of 2016 represented more than 4,000,000 members. One of the strongest protest of the NLC can be traced to January 2012 during the President
Goodluck Jonathan administration. The president and his economic team had argued that fuel subsidy payments was making the country lose billions of naira and it will save around "£4.2bn annually to invest in underperforming refineries that have forced Nigeria to import its own oil once it has been refined". The president said his government was no more interested in the payment of fuel subsidy to petroleum markerters. This will move fuel prices which was sold for N65 a litre with subsidy inclusive to around N141 which implies more than a hundred per cent increase. The campaign for fuel subsidy removal was supported by the ministers in his cabinet and mostly chaired by the then finance minister/coordinating minister for economy Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. The government announced that the fuel subsidy was going to be removed by January 2012 and this announcement was not welcomed by the Nigeria Labour Congress. Abdulwahed Omar, the then NLC president challenged the government that there will be wide spread mass protest in Nigeria if it continued with its plans to remove the fuel subsidy. By 9 January 2012, massive protest erupted around Nigeria and in major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. These protest crippled the economy as there was a total shutdown of the Nations different workforce and it lasted more than five working days. This led the then president Jonathan to announce on live TV that government will now subsidize fuel prices and reduce it to about $2.75 (£1.80) a gallon. The protest was eventually suspended after this broadcast by the federal government. Together with the
Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, the NLC supported
Peter Obi and the
Labour Party in the
2023 Nigerian general election, a party the NLC started in 2002. This was the first time the union expressed explicit support for a political party. ==Women's wing==