By FRONTLINE REPORTERS

Organised labour is expected to decide its next course of action after a crucial meeting with the Federal Government on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) demand concrete proposals on petrol prices, wage negotiations and other outstanding workers’ welfare issues amid the threat of nationwide industrial action.

The meeting follows an earlier round of negotiations that ended without an agreement. Labour has warned that failure to make meaningful progress before the expiration of its ultimatum could trigger industrial action across the country.

The unions are demanding a reduction in petrol prices to levels prevailing in 2024, tax relief for workers, immediate wage awards and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of the Federal Government’s proposed June 2027 review.

The NLC Assistant Secretary-General, Chris Onyeka, confirmed the meeting to frontline reporters on Monday, saying the government had invited the union to resume discussions. He said labour expected concrete responses to its previously submitted demands rather than another round of preliminary discussions.

“We expect them to come with answers to our demands, so that the meeting will not be prolonged,” Onyeka said. “We don’t expect them to come and start asking us again, ‘What are your demands?’ The demands have already been tabled before them.”

A source within organised labour also confirmed that the government had requested additional time to prepare for the meeting.

“The government pleaded for more time. So, we will be meeting with them tomorrow (today), and after that we will take our final decision,” the source said.

A Trade Union Congress official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the outcome of the meeting would determine labour’s next move.

“Whatever action we are going to take will rest on the outcome of tomorrow’s meeting,” the official said.

The Head of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Labour, Ann Daniel, also confirmed the planned meeting, adding that it would hold as scheduled unless there was a change.

The talks follow the October 22 meeting, which ended without a resolution after the labour unions accused the government delegation of arriving without the necessary authority to negotiate substantively.

In a joint statement signed by the acting NLC General Secretary, Benson Upah, and the TUC Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, the unions said the government delegation lacked the mandate to make meaningful commitments on the issues raised.

“Regrettably, the government delegation came unprepared and without the necessary mandates to engage substantively on these issues. No concrete commitments were secured, and the outstanding issues remain unresolved,” the statement said.

According to the unions, the Minister of Labour subsequently requested an adjournment until October 27 to allow the government to assemble relevant ministers and heads of departments and agencies for a more productive session.

The NLC had earlier directed its affiliates and state councils to prepare for possible nationwide action should the government fail to address the outstanding demands. It said its relevant organs would determine the next steps after reviewing the outcome of the negotiations.

Minimum Wage Dispute

At the centre of the dispute is a disagreement over when negotiations should begin to replace the N70,000 monthly minimum wage introduced in 2024.

The Federal Government maintains that the current minimum wage is due for review on June 1, 2027, citing the three-year review cycle provided for under the National Minimum Wage Act, 2019, as amended in 2024.

In a letter dated October 12, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, described renewed negotiations barely two years after the implementation of the current wage as premature and potentially disruptive to industrial relations.

The NLC, however, insists that preparations for a new wage review should begin immediately. In a letter dated October 13, its President, Joe Ajaero, argued that the timetable under the original 2019 legislation remained relevant despite the 2024 amendment.

The union has called for the nomination of representatives and the inauguration of a National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee comprising the Federal Government, organised labour and employers.

It argues that beginning the administrative process early would provide sufficient time for negotiations and prevent delays in reaching an agreement and implementing a new wage.

The current minimum wage followed negotiations in 2024 involving the Federal Government, organised labour and the organised private sector. President Bola Tinubu signed the new legislation into law on July 29, 2024, increasing the statutory minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 after prolonged negotiations.

While the government has cited the 133 per cent increase as evidence of its adjustment to workers’ earnings, labour maintains that inflation, the depreciation of the naira and rising living costs have eroded the gains.

Ajaero has argued that workers continue to struggle with the cost of transportation, food, housing, healthcare and education despite the higher minimum wage.

Petrol Prices, Tax Relief Top Demands

Petrol prices remain a major source of disagreement between the government and organised labour.

The NLC argues that higher fuel costs have increased transportation expenses and driven up the prices of food and other essential commodities, further weakening workers’ purchasing power.

The union wants petrol prices reduced to the levels prevailing when the N70,000 minimum wage was signed into law in 2024. It is also demanding the implementation of tax relief measures agreed with the government in 2023 and immediate wage awards to cushion workers against rising living costs.

Other unresolved issues include the implementation of the February 5, 2026, terms of settlement involving the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals.

Labour is also seeking action on demands raised by the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, including issues relating to peculiar allowances, wage awards and hazard allowances.

The Federal Ministry of Labour has said it is engaging relevant ministries, departments and agencies to address issues falling within the government’s responsibility.

Pensioners Demand N75,000 Palliative Arrears, Improved Healthcare

Meanwhile, the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) has urged the Federal Government to pay eligible retirees three months of outstanding fuel-subsidy-removal palliatives totalling N75,000 per beneficiary.

The demand, contained in a communiqué issued after the association’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on October 22, 2026, was signed by its President-General, Benjamin Maisamari Amako, and General Secretary, Franklin Erinle.

FEPPPAN also called on the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to clarify the implementation of pension harmonisation, which took effect in January 2026, and make the relevant government circular available to retirees.

The association said the harmonisation exercise should improve monthly benefits for eligible pensioners. It urged the authorities to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to address complaints, improve communication and resolve outstanding cases.

It further appealed to PTAD to ensure that the planned relaunch of its I Am Alive verification platform does not disrupt payments to elderly, sick and physically incapacitated pensioners.

The association called for clear verification guidelines, adequate assistance and safeguards to prevent eligible beneficiaries from being wrongly excluded or subjected to unnecessary hardship.

While commending President Tinubu for the timely payment of monthly pensions to retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme, FEPPPAN urged him to sustain the practice and guarantee uninterrupted payments.

On healthcare, the association called on PTAD and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to simplify enrolment in the Pensioner Health Insurance Scheme through assisted registration, accessible enrolment centres and support for retirees unable to travel because of age, illness or disability.

FEPPPAN expressed concern that administrative and technological barriers could prevent eligible pensioners from registering for and accessing healthcare benefits. It urged the authorities to identify retirees who had yet to enrol and assist them in completing the process.

“No eligible pensioner should be denied access to the scheme because of difficulties with registration, verification or other administrative procedures,” the association stated.

It also called for an effective complaints-resolution mechanism to address enrolment difficulties and other challenges retirees might encounter when seeking healthcare services.

The association urged PTAD and other relevant authorities to provide clear, timely and accessible information on pension entitlements, verification procedures, healthcare enrolment, eligibility requirements and complaint-resolution channels.

FEPPPAN maintained that transparent and responsive pension administration was essential to protecting retirees’ welfare, dignity and financial security amid rising living costs.

It appealed to the President and relevant authorities to give prompt and favourable consideration to its resolutions, stressing that pensioners must receive their entitlements regularly and without interruption.

PTAD administers pension liabilities for eligible federal public-sector retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme. Its I Am Alive platform is used to verify beneficiaries’ continued eligibility for pension payments

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