Organised labour and the Federal Government are set to resume negotiations today to avert a looming nationwide strike over the prevailing economic hardship.
The reconvened meeting is targeted at addressing the lingering dispute surrounding petrol prices, wage awards, and the timeline for a new minimum wage review.
The organised labour unions have threatened a nationwide industrial action if the government fails to present concrete proposals at the reconvened meeting.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) are demanding a reversal of petrol prices to the rates obtainable when the N70,000 minimum wage was signed into law in July 2024.
The unions are also seeking tax relief for workers and the inauguration of a National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee.
The meeting was rescheduled for today after a previous meeting held on October 22, ended in a deadlock. During the last session, labour representatives accused the government delegation of arriving without the necessary mandate to negotiate substantively on the presented demands.
A joint statement signed by the acting NLC General Secretary, Benson Upah, and the TUC Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, explained the reason for the initial adjournment.
“Regrettably, the government delegation came unprepared and without the necessary mandates to engage substantively on these issues. The Honourable Minister requested adjournment of the meeting to Tuesday, 27th October 2026, to allow the government to make adequate arrangements for a productive session”.
The NLC Assistant Secretary-General, Chris Onyeka, in his statement said the unions expect definitive answers to their demands:
“We expect them to come with answers to our demands, so that the meeting will not be prolonged. We don’t expect them to come and start asking us again, ‘What are your demands?’ The demands have already been tabled before them”, Onyeka stated.
The Head of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Labour, Ann Daniel, assured the public and union members that the meeting will proceed as scheduled.
However, matters are still rising about the next minimum wage as it remains a major point of contention. While the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, insists that administrative preparations for a new wage structure must begin immediately to counter the depreciation of the naira, the government holds a different position.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, previously described early negotiations as premature, making reference to the three-year review cycle of the National Minimum Wage Act which was stated for June 2027.
In a related development, the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) has urged the government to settle outstanding pension entitlements. The association is demanding the payment of three months of the N25,000 monthly subsidy-removal palliative, totalling N75,000 for eligible beneficiaries.
This demand was detailed in a communiqué issued after the association’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, signed by its President-General, Benjamin Maisamari Amako, and General Secretary, Franklin Erinle.
The association also called on the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to clarify the implementation of the January 2026 pension harmonisation.
FEPPPAN appealed to PTAD to ensure that the planned relaunch of its ‘I Am Alive’ verification platform does not disrupt payments to elderly or incapacitated pensioners. The retirees urged the National Health Insurance Authority to simplify enrolment into the Pensioner Health Insurance Scheme to prevent the exclusion of vulnerable senior citizens.
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