The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned that Nigerian workers remain under severe economic pressure despite the increase in the national minimum wage to N70,000, insisting that its two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government over rising petrol prices and fresh wage negotiations remains in force.
The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, made the position clear on Monday in Abuja, where he criticised the implementation of the 2024 minimum wage agreement and called for urgent measures to address the rising cost of living.
Ajaero’s remarks came amid growing tensions between organised labour and the Federal Government over workers’ declining purchasing power, with the labour movement demanding petrol price relief and renewed negotiations on salaries.
While maintaining that the ultimatum stands, Ajaero urged the government to address workers’ hardship proactively rather than wait for strikes or protests to force action.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, however, called for a balance between workers’ legitimate demands for improved remuneration and the government’s fiscal capacity, warning against avoidable industrial disputes.
The exchange underscores the widening challenge facing the government and organised labour as they seek to reconcile workers’ welfare with public finances amid economic reforms and rising expectations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ajaero said the government must address the declining purchasing power of workers rather than wait for organised labour to embark on industrial action before introducing measures to ease their hardship.
He said, “I’ve not come here to discuss my ultimatum. My ultimatum stands. I’ve said something about it, and this is not a table. The fact that the permanent secretary is here does not give us the opportunity to start negotiating an ultimatum. He has replied a letter, and we have replied him again. So, we will go into that game.
“But to the head of service, sir, Nigerian workers are really suffering. And if you do something, history and posterity will remember all of us for it.”
The labour leader’s remarks came amid growing tensions between organised labour and the Federal Government over the impact of rising petrol prices on household incomes and the adequacy of the existing minimum wage.
The NLC had issued a two-week ultimatum demanding a reduction in petrol prices and the commencement of fresh negotiations on the national minimum wage, arguing that prevailing economic conditions had eroded workers’ earnings.
Although Ajaero acknowledged ongoing exchanges with government officials over the ultimatum, he maintained that the retreat was not the appropriate forum for negotiations.
He said workers were facing severe financial difficulties, stressing that the N70,000 minimum wage agreed upon in 2024 had become inadequate to meet basic household needs.
Ajaero argued that workers were struggling to afford food and transportation, adding that the situation required urgent government intervention.
He said, “The point we are making is not strike. The point we are making is that whether you enter bus or you buy fuel, you will not be able to eat.”
According to him, governments in other countries introduce measures to protect workers from economic hardship before industrial disputes escalate, rather than waiting until unions mobilise for protests or strikes.
He said the Federal Government should adopt a similar approach by addressing the concerns of workers through timely interventions and meaningful negotiations.
“But to wait for Labour to be on the street before we address this is not really what is happening all over the world. Countries all over the world will come with interventionary measures even before Labour acts on it. I think we should be more proactive,” he stated.
The NLC president also criticised the salary adjustments implemented after the 2024 minimum wage negotiations, disputing claims that federal workers received increases of about 133 per cent.
According to him, the government added N40,000 to the salaries of federal public servants, an adjustment he argued did not represent the percentage increase being attributed to the wage agreement.
He said, “After the last minimum wage negotiation, which some of you have been arguing that it attracted about 133 per cent increase, what the head of service—what they did was adding 40,000 to every worker. That’s not the real way to negotiate.
“All the federal public service workers, they added 40,000 to them. 40,000 does not translate to 100 per cent or 133 per cent. And the consequences are what we are facing now, sir.”
Ajaero maintained that the adjustment had failed to provide meaningful relief, particularly as inflation and higher transportation costs continued to weaken workers’ purchasing power.
He also expressed concern over unresolved industrial disputes, recalling an 84-day strike by health sector workers that was suspended following the intervention of organised labour.
According to him, more than a year after the intervention, the issues that prompted the strike had yet to be adequately addressed.
He further disclosed that workers under the National Public Service Negotiating Council had considered industrial action but were persuaded by labour leaders to suspend their plans.
Ajaero rejected suggestions that organised labour was being influenced by politicians, describing such accusations as insulting to workers seeking improved living conditions.
“No politician can use us. That’s the greatest insult, to tell me at this age and time, you know, to say a politician is using you when you ask for increase of workers’ salaries,” he said.
He appealed to government officials and the leadership of the wages commission to take workers’ concerns seriously and pursue solutions that would prevent further deterioration in industrial relations.
The labour leader nevertheless expressed willingness to participate in the retreat and contribute to discussions on improving wage administration.
Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, called for a balance between workers’ demands for improved remuneration and the financial capacity of government.
Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Abubakar Kana, said wage decisions must reflect economic realities while promoting industrial harmony.
He said, “The commission must continually balance the legitimate expectations of workers with the fiscal realities of government and broader imperatives of national economic development.”
The SGF noted that ongoing economic reforms, rising public expectations and the approaching 2027 general elections had made the need for a fair and sustainable wage system more pressing.
He urged the commission to strengthen its capacity to anticipate emerging wage challenges and provide recommendations based on credible economic data and consultations with organised labour, employers and other stakeholders.
Akume identified three priorities for the commission, including stronger policy coordination, digital transformation and effective implementation of institutional reforms.
He also warned against avoidable industrial disputes, stressing that dialogue and cooperation were essential to maintaining economic stability.
“A credible and inclusive approach towards governance is indispensable to building trust, preventing avoidable industrial disputes like we’re about to have now, and promoting a stable environment for national development,” he said.
The SGF called for improvements in research, data management and administrative processes, alongside clear implementation timelines and measurable performance indicators.
He urged the commission’s newly constituted board and management to demonstrate accountability and ensure that decisions reached at the retreat translated into practical improvements.
Earlier, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Junaidu Bindawa, said Nigeria’s economic conditions required a more strategic approach to wage administration.
Bindawa noted that inflationary pressures, changing labour expectations and demands for public sector efficiency had increased the importance of sustainable salary policies.
He said wage administration directly affected workers’ welfare, public expenditure, industrial relations, productivity and the overall performance of the public service.
“Our work must reflect a careful balance between the legitimate expectation of workers, the imperatives of productivity and social justice, and the physical capacity of government,” he stated.
The chairman explained that the retreat, themed Vision, Strategy and Institutional Renewal, was designed to reposition the commission for greater effectiveness in addressing emerging wage and compensation issues.
He identified research, job evaluation, compensation management, public finance, industrial harmony and institutional accountability as critical areas requiring attention.
Bindawa also called for stronger collaboration between the board and management, improved internal systems and the adoption of digital tools to support evidence-based decisions.
He said the retreat should produce a practical roadmap with clear priorities and measurable outcomes, rather than recommendations that would remain unimplemented.
In her welcome remarks, the Secretary to the commission, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, said Nigeria needed to move away from reactive wage reviews towards a permanent system driven by credible data.
She recalled that previous wage review exercises were conducted through temporary commissions, including the Morgan Commission of 1964, Adebo Commission of 1971 and Udoji Commission of 1974.
According to her, the establishment of the NSIWC in 1993 provided a permanent institutional framework for advising the government on salaries, allowances and national incomes policy.
“We exist so that wage decisions rest on evidence, not emergencies,” she said.
Okoya-Thomas noted that the 2024 minimum wage more than doubled the previous statutory minimum, but stressed that future wage decisions must remain fair, informed and sustainable.
She said the retreat would examine five major issues, including data reliability, fair remuneration, social dialogue, institutional capacity and governance.
The secretary added that the commission intended to develop an action plan aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria Agenda 2050 and the Medium-Term National Development Plan for 2027 to 2030.
She said the plan would contain specific responsibilities, implementation timelines and performance indicators, with the commission’s monitoring and evaluation division responsible for tracking progress.
Also speaking, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Abel Enitan, said improved workers’ welfare, institutional efficiency and the modernisation of government operations were essential to achieving national development objectives.
The Head of Service described salary administration as a matter of national interest, noting that the civil service and the wages commission had complementary responsibilities in improving workers’ conditions and public sector performance.
The official said the government was prioritising capacity development and end-to-end digitisation of civil service operations, aiming to establish a fully paperless working environment.
He also linked public service reforms to President Bola Tinubu’s ambition to build a $1tn economy by 2030, arguing that the target would require a productive, well-equipped workforce.
Enitan said, “It is achievable. Just that the workforce must be mobilised behind that agenda.”
He identified efficiency, productivity, integrity and citizen-centred service delivery as essential attributes of a modern civil service.
Enitan expressed confidence that the retreat would produce recommendations to strengthen wage administration, improve workers’ welfare, and support the broader public service reform agenda.