The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, has voiced the organised labour’s strong opposition to the proposed tax bills by the Federal Government, arguing that the bills impose excessive burdens on workers’ already meagre allowances.
Speaking at the 2025 May Day celebration in Abuja, Osifo condemned the tax proposals, asserting that they disproportionately target workers while sparing the wealthy and corporate elites.
Naija News understands that he described the bills as “anti-worker” and voiced his concerns about the potential negative impacts on workers.
Osifo criticised the proposed tax measures for their failure to incorporate the input of workers and for placing an undue financial burden on essential benefits such as housing, transport, and medical expenses.
He said, “The tax proposals were drafted without the involvement of workers. They impose heavy burdens on our meagre allowances yet fail to promote a progressive taxation system that ensures the rich pay their fair share.”
The TUC president specifically opposed the plan to set the minimum taxable income at N800,000 per year, which is just below the National Minimum Wage of ₦840,000 annually (₦70,000 monthly).
He questioned, “How can you tax someone earning approximately the cost of just eight bags of 50kg rice in a year? This policy shows insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers amid soaring inflation and economic hardship.”
Osifo also raised concerns about the expansion of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on essential goods and the introduction of new levies.
He warned that such measures would exacerbate the cost of living and have a particularly harmful effect on the poorer segments of society.
“These new taxes will escalate the cost of living and disproportionately affect the poor,” he said, urging the government to reconsider these measures.
Additionally, Osifo highlighted the pressures on the informal sector, noting that small-scale traders and artisans would be subjected to presumptive taxation and excessive compliance costs.
He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the tax bills, calling for a fairer and more inclusive tax system that exempts essential goods from VAT and provides real support to the informal sector.
“We demand the immediate withdrawal of the anti-worker tax bill. Nigeria needs a fair and inclusive tax system,” he stated.
On electoral matters, Osifo called for urgent reforms to address what he described as “a crisis of political legitimacy in Nigeria.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to initiate a broad-based, inclusive electoral reform process to improve transparency, accountability, and participation in the nation’s elections.
“This is not a partisan issue, but a patriotic duty,” Osifo stressed. He further emphasised that credible elections are crucial to building a just, equitable, and progressive society.
Osifo concluded his speech by reiterating the TUC’s commitment to fighting for workers’ rights and ensuring that Nigerian workers are not unfairly burdened by policies that do not prioritize their welfare.
