The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to impose a special tax on technology companies and automated industries to finance large-scale retraining and upskilling of workers displaced by artificial intelligence.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made the call on Friday at the 2025 Conference of the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Ibadan. The event focused on “The Future of Work in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.”
Ajaero said the rise of AI, while often framed as progress, is being exploited by corporations to deepen inequality, weaken unions, and casualise labour. He argued that profits from automation should be redirected to protect workers from technological disruption.
“We must bargain for comprehensive retraining and upskilling programmes, funded by a tax on the excessive profits of tech giants and automated industries,” he said. “Our struggle is to socialise the benefits of AI and robotise the burdens.”
The labour leader described artificial intelligence as the modern face of class struggle, warning that unchecked automation could erode workers’ rights and destabilise the social contract.
“They sell us a narrative of efficiency, but the reality is profit maximisation through de-skilling and job insecurity,” Ajaero said. “Without safeguards, AI will reshape labour relations in ways that destroy collective bargaining and unionisation.”
He called for legislation guaranteeing workers’ digital rights, including the “Right to Disconnect” and restrictions on algorithmic surveillance. “Productivity gains from AI must translate into shorter workweeks without loss of pay,” he added.
Ajaero also urged journalists to use their platforms to expose workplace injustices and defend labour rights. “Your typewriters and keyboards are as powerful as our placards,” he told delegates, describing media advocacy as vital to sustaining workers’ struggles.
Referencing disputes at the Dangote Refinery, Ajaero accused the company of violating labour laws and international conventions by obstructing unionisation. “These acts of de-unionisation reflect corrosive capitalism at work,” he said.
He concluded by stressing unity as labour’s strongest weapon. “They have their AI, but we have our WE—our collective power and solidarity remain the ultimate intelligence no machine can break,” he declared.
