Organised labour has put the Federal Government on notice: resolve workers’ demands on Tuesday or face nationwide industrial action.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) issued the warning after Thursday’s meeting with government at the Federal Ministry of Labour in Abuja collapsed without agreement.
Labour says its next step hinges on the outcome of the reconvened talks on Tuesday, October 27. Affiliates and state councils have already been directed to get ready for possible action if government fails to show real progress.
The unions’ demands are clear: a rollback of petrol prices to 2024 levels, renegotiation of the national minimum wage, implementation of agreed tax relief measures, and settlement of outstanding issues affecting health workers and other public servants.
In a joint statement signed by NLC General Secretary Benson Upah and TUC Secretary-General Nuhu Toro, labour accused the government team of showing up without the mandate to negotiate anything substantive.
The statement said the Minister of Labour asked for an adjournment until October 27 so government could prepare properly and bring the relevant ministers and heads of agencies to the table.
Labour said it remains open to dialogue but will not tolerate indefinite delays.
“We will report back to our organs, and if no meaningful progress is made on Tuesday, the relevant organs of the NLC will decide the next line of action,” the statement said.
Affiliates, state councils and civil society allies have been told to stay on alert and begin mobilisation across the country while awaiting Tuesday’s outcome.
The unions urged workers and the public to remain calm, saying they expect government to deliver at the rescheduled meeting.
The standoff comes as Nigerians continue to battle the high cost of living, rising fuel prices and shrinking purchasing power, with wage-related agreements still unfulfilled after recent economic reforms.
The national minimum wage was raised from N30,000 to N70,000 under the National Minimum Wage Act, 2024, following negotiations between government, labour and other stakeholders. Labour’s fresh demand for renegotiation shows it considers that figure inadequate against current economic pressures.
The unions are also pressing for the implementation of agreed tax relief measures and for resolution of disputes involving the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC).
The JPSNC’s demands centre on peculiar allowances, wage awards and hazard allowances, while the JOHESU dispute concerns unresolved terms of settlement for health-sector workers.
If both sides fail to reach a deal on Tuesday, the country faces renewed industrial tension.
Even so, the NLC and TUC say they will attend the next session expecting government to respond to their demands. Any decision on strike action will rest with their respective organs.
