The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has renewed pressure on the Federal Government to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage before its October 24 ultimatum expires, insisting that the government must address workers’ demands amid rising living costs.
A senior NLC official, who spoke to BusinessDay in Abuja on condition of anonymity, said the union would not withdraw its ultimatum and expected the government to act on its demands.
“We have made our demands to the federal government very clear, all have all the time to do the needful,” the official said.
The official added that the union would determine its next course of action after consultations with its organs at the end of the two-week ultimatum.
“You know that we don’t just act, we will get all the organs to decide on the next action, but what I can tell you is that we will not neglect the suffering Nigeria workers who bear the cost of these reforms,” the official said.
The NLC had issued the ultimatum in a statement signed by Joe Ajaero, its president, on October 16, urging the Federal Government to begin the process of negotiating a new national minimum wage.
However, the government has maintained that the next review is not due until June 2027, arguing that an earlier review would be premature under the existing legal framework.
Maigari Dingyadi, minister of labour and employment, said President Bola Tinubu signed the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act in July 2024 following negotiations among the government, organised labour and other stakeholders.
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According to the minister, the current national minimum wage will become due for review on June 1, 2027.
“Commencing a fresh review exercise barely two years into the implementation of the current wage, which represented over 133 percent increase from the previous N30,000, would be premature, inconsistent with the law and disruptive to the orderly industrial relations system envisaged by the Act,” Dingyadi said.
The minister said the government remained aware of the economic challenges facing workers and cited the implementation of the 2024 minimum wage, efforts to secure compliance by state governments and private-sector employers, and measures to cushion the cost of living.
These measures include the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, food security interventions and other social support programmes, he said.
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On the NLC’s other demands, Dingyadi said the ministry had taken note of the union’s requests and was engaging relevant ministries, departments and agencies to address issues within the Federal Government’s jurisdiction.
He added that the government remained committed to tripartite engagement, decent work and workers’ welfare, and would convene the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee at the appropriate time in line with Section 3(4) of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024.
In response, the NLC urged the government to begin the process of negotiating a new national minimum wage by calling for nominations and inaugurating the tripartite committee before the expiration of its ultimatum.
The union also called for the implementation of tax relief measures agreed in 2023 and immediate wage awards to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
It further demanded a reduction in petrol prices to the level prevailing when the current national minimum wage was signed in 2024, citing what it described as similar measures in other countries. The union also called for the implementation of the terms of settlement with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the demands of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC).
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“The Federal Government’s response, while prompt, is clearly out of touch with the existential reality of the Nigerian worker,” the NLC said.
“We are suffering more than ever before and we need urgent direct and significant intervention which the government is capable of doing if it summons the necessary will.”
The union urged the government to act expeditiously, saying it remained committed to pursuing what it described as a fair and equitable Nigeria.
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