Minimum Wage: NLC Rejects FG’s Position, Warns Of Looming Strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected President Bola Tinubu government’s decision to delay negotiations for a new national minimum wage until June 2027.

The union insists that preparations for a fresh wage agreement must begin immediately.

It also wants the government to reduce petrol prices, provide tax relief and approve wage awards to help workers cope with the rising cost of living.

The demands were contained in a letter dated October 13, 2026, and signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.

The Congress warned that the government’s response to its demands failed to address the hardship facing Nigerian workers, raising concerns about a possible face-off as its 14-day ultimatum continues.

Although the NLC did not announce a strike in the letter, sources within the union told Vanguard that the rejection of the government’s position could lead to an industrial dispute if the issues remain unresolved before the ultimatum expires.

The Federal Government had argued that the current national minimum wage of ₦70,000, signed into law on July 29, 2024, would not be due for review until June 1, 2027.

In its response to the NLC’s earlier communiqué, the government said the law provides for a review of the minimum wage every three years, making an earlier review unnecessary.

The minister argued that starting another wage review barely two years after the current one took effect would be premature and could disrupt industrial relations.

“Commencing a fresh review exercise barely two years into the implementation of the current wage, which represented an increase of over 133 per cent from the previous minimum wage of ₦30,000, would be premature, inconsistent with the law, and disruptive to the orderly industrial relations system envisaged by the Act,” Dingyadi stated.

The government also listed its efforts to ease economic hardship, including the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative, food security programmes and other social support measures.

It said the Ministry of Labour was engaging relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to address the union’s other demands.

The government added that it would convene the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee at the appropriate time to begin negotiations for the next review.

It also urged the NLC to continue working with the government to maintain industrial peace, assuring the union that its doors remained open to dialogue.

However, the NLC said the government’s response failed to address the main issues raised by workers.

The union acknowledged that the ministry responded quickly to its demands but said a prompt reply was not enough without concrete action.

“The Congress notes that, for the first time in recent history, the Ministry has responded with relative speed to our resolutions. We acknowledge this departure from the usual culture of bureaucratic silence,” the letter stated.

It added, “However, while we appreciate this prompt acknowledgement, we are constrained to observe that speed without substance may amount to an empty gesture.”

The labour centre described the government’s position as wrong in law, economics and social justice.

At the centre of the disagreement is the interpretation of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, as amended in 2024.

While the government says the next review is due in June 2027, the NLC argues that the timeline should be calculated from the original law passed in 2019.

According to the union, the 2019 Act was signed into law on April 18 of that year, meaning a review was due by April 18, 2024.

“The National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, which the 2024 Amendment Act amended, was signed into law on 18 April 2019. Under the clear provisions of that Act, a review was statutorily due by 18 April 2024,” the Congress argued.

The NLC maintained that the 2024 amendment did not cancel the original law or remove the timeline for a wage review.

It also recalled that organised labour agreed to reduce retrospective wage arrears during the 2024 negotiations after the government appealed for a reduction in the financial burden on employers and government.

The union said that concession should not be treated as a decision to abandon the statutory timeline.

The Congress argued that negotiations for a new minimum wage should begin at least six months before the proposed date for implementation to prevent delays and the accumulation of unpaid arrears.

Based on this position, it said negotiations should begin by October 17, 2026.

The union stressed that it was not asking the government to introduce a new minimum wage immediately but to begin the process of reaching a fresh agreement.

“The Government is not being asked to implement a new wage immediately, but to commence the negotiation process,” the letter stated.

The proposed steps include asking relevant parties to nominate representatives, inaugurating the tripartite committee and setting an agenda for negotiations.

The NLC said starting these processes early would give the government, employers and organised labour enough time to agree on a new wage.

NLC Insists ₦70,000 Minimum Wage Has Lost Its Value

Beyond the legal disagreement, the labour union said the rising cost of living had reduced the value of the current ₦70,000 minimum wage.

It argued that although the wage increased from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000, workers had not enjoyed a similar improvement in their ability to buy goods and services.

The union blamed inflation, the fall in the value of the naira and rising prices of essential goods for the situation.

“The Federal Government must understand that a wage increase immediately eroded by inflation is not a meaningful improvement in workers’ purchasing power; it is merely a statistical illusion. While the nominal wage increased by 133 per cent, real wages have actually declined,” the Congress said.

It also blamed the increase in petrol prices for pushing up transportation costs and the prices of food and other basic needs.

According to the NLC, many workers are struggling to pay for food, rent, healthcare, education and transportation.

The union also questioned the impact of the CNG initiative, claiming that inadequate facilities, shortages of gas supplies and a lack of conversion kits had prevented many Nigerians from enjoying the expected benefits.

“Workers cannot feed their families with an initiative that has yet to deliver the promised relief, especially when their children are hungry today,” the letter stated.

List Of NLC’s Demands

Naija News reports that the Congress called on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to reduce the financial pressure on workers.

Its demands include:

• Reduction in petrol prices: The NLC wants petrol prices reduced to the level they were when the current minimum wage was signed into law in 2024.
• Tax relief: The government should implement tax relief measures agreed upon in 2023.
• Immediate wage awards: Workers should receive wage awards to help them cope with rising living costs.
• JOHESU agreement: The government should implement the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions.
• JPSNC demands: The government should address outstanding issues raised by the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council.
• Early minimum wage negotiations: The government should begin the process of negotiating a new national minimum wage without further delay.

The NLC insisted that the government had the ability to provide relief if it showed the political will to act.

“Procrastination is no longer a policy choice; it constitutes a direct threat to the survival and well-being of Nigerian workers,” the letter stated.

The union also warned that continued talks without clear deadlines or immediate relief would not solve the problem.

“We acknowledge your assurance that your office remains open to dialogue. However, dialogue without concrete timelines and immediate relief measures amounts to mere rhetoric,” it added.

The Congress said it remain resolute, organised, and uncompromising in its push for a fairer Nigeria.

No strike date, however, was announced in the letter issued.