Fresh Strike Looms as NLC Rejects FG’s June 2027 Wage Review Plan

According to report by Vanguard on Thursday, October 15, 2026, a potential industrial crisis could ensue when the Nigeria Labor Congress’s (NLC) 14-day ultimatum ends since the Federal Government has not responded to the NLC’s demands for immediate actions to alleviate economic hardship and start preparations for a new national minimum wage.

The National Labor Congress President Joe Ajaero expressed his strong disapproval of the government’s request that the minimum wage negotiations be postponed until June 2027 in a letter addressed to Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, the Minister of Labor and Employment.

The union insisted that negotiators should get to work on a new wage agreement right away.

Along with a decrease in petrol prices, immediate wage awards, and the execution of agreements reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JPSNC), it also demanded tax relief measures that had been agreed upon in 2023.

The current N70,000 minimum wage was signed into law on July 29, 2024, but the federal government claimed it wouldn’t be due for review until June 1, 2027.

Dingyadi cautioned that starting the process too soon because the law only allows for reviews every three years.

Reducing economic pressure on Nigerians was a goal of the government’s programs like the Presidential CNG program, food security interventions, and other social support schemes.

The National Labor Council, on the other hand, disagreed with the administration’s reading of the statute and maintained that the 2019 Minimum Wage Act should have been the starting point for the statutory review process.

It stated that talks should start at least six months before the new wage is put into effect, which means that by October 17, 2026, the process should have begun.

While the Congress did not want a new wage implemented immediately, it did want some preliminary steps, such as the tripartite committee to be appointed and inaugurated and for the negotiation agenda to be set.

In addition, the NLC claimed that the purchasing power of the N70,000 wage had been diminished due to inflation, naira depreciation, and the increasing costs of transportation, food, housing, healthcare, and education.

It slammed the CNG initiative for failing to deliver results and demanded that the government cut petrol prices, increase wages, and offer tax breaks immediately.

The labor organization expressed concern that workers’ hardship could be exacerbated if discussions do not lead to concrete deadlines and prompt measures are taken to avoid an industrial conflict.

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