Precious Nwonu, Enugu

The Nigeria Labour Congress has maintained its two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government over rising petrol prices and fresh minimum wage negotiations, warning that Nigerian workers continue to struggle with the rising cost of living despite the implementation of the N70,000 national minimum wage.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, stated this on Monday in Abuja, where he called on the government to take urgent steps to improve workers’ welfare and prevent a further deterioration in industrial relations.

Ajaero, who spoke amid growing tensions between organised labour and the government, argued that workers’ earnings had lost significant purchasing power due to inflation and rising transportation costs.

He insisted that the government should address the hardship facing workers before labour unions are forced to resort to strikes or protests.

The labour leader clarified that his ultimatum remained in force, noting that both parties had exchanged correspondence but had yet to resolve the issues.

He said the meeting was not the appropriate forum to negotiate the ultimatum, but urged government officials to recognise the difficulties facing Nigerian workers.

Ajaero said workers were struggling to afford basic necessities, including food and transportation, despite the existing minimum wage agreement.

“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,” he said.

He argued that governments should introduce relief measures before economic hardship escalates into industrial disputes, rather than wait for workers to mobilise for action.

According to him, proactive interventions and meaningful engagement with labour unions would help ease the burden on workers and reduce the likelihood of strikes.

The NLC president also faulted the implementation of the 2024 minimum wage agreement, disputing claims that the adjustment resulted in salary increases of about 133 per cent for federal public servants.

Ajaero said the government had added N40,000 to workers’ salaries, arguing that the adjustment did not amount to the percentage increase being attributed to the wage negotiations.

He maintained that the measure had failed to provide adequate relief as inflation and transportation expenses continued to erode workers’ incomes.

The labour leader also raised concerns over unresolved industrial disputes, citing an 84-day strike by health sector workers that was suspended following the intervention of organised labour.

He said the issues that prompted the strike remained inadequately addressed more than a year after the intervention.

Ajaero further disclosed that members of the National Public Service Negotiating Council had considered embarking on industrial action but were persuaded by labour leaders to suspend the plan.

He rejected suggestions that politicians were influencing the activities of organised labour, insisting that the union’s demands were driven by workers’ welfare concerns.

Ajaero urged government officials and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to take the concerns seriously and work towards a lasting resolution.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has called for a balance between workers’ demands for better remuneration and the government’s financial capacity.

Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Abubakar Kana, made the appeal at a retreat organised by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

He said wage policies must reflect economic realities while addressing workers’ legitimate expectations and promoting industrial harmony.

“The commission must continually balance the legitimate expectations of workers with the fiscal realities of government and broader imperatives of national economic development,” he said.

Akume noted that economic reforms, increasing public expectations and preparations for the 2027 general elections had made the need for a fair and sustainable wage system more urgent.

He urged the commission to strengthen its capacity to anticipate emerging wage challenges and develop recommendations based on reliable economic data and consultations with labour unions, employers and other stakeholders.

The SGF identified improved policy coordination, digital transformation and effective implementation of institutional reforms as key priorities for the commission.

He also warned against avoidable industrial disputes, stressing that dialogue and cooperation were essential to maintaining economic stability.

Earlier, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Junaidu Bindawa, said prevailing economic conditions required a more strategic approach to wage administration.

Bindawa noted that inflation, changing workers’ expectations and the need to improve public sector productivity had increased the importance of sustainable salary policies.

He explained that wage administration had direct implications for workers’ welfare, public expenditure, productivity and industrial relations.

According to him, the commission’s retreat, themed *Vision, Strategy and Institutional Renewal*, was designed to strengthen its capacity to address emerging challenges in salaries and compensation.

Bindawa called for improved research, job evaluation, compensation management, public finance administration and institutional accountability, adding that the retreat should produce a practical roadmap with measurable outcomes.

In her remarks, the Secretary of the commission, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas, urged the government to move away from reactive wage reviews towards a permanent system supported by reliable data.

She recalled that earlier wage reviews were conducted through temporary commissions, including the Morgan Commission of 1964, the Adebo Commission of 1971 and the Udoji Commission of 1974.

Okoya-Thomas said the establishment of the commission in 1993 created a permanent institutional framework for advising the government on salaries, allowances and national incomes policy.

She acknowledged that the 2024 minimum wage more than doubled the previous statutory minimum but stressed that future wage decisions must remain fair, evidence-based and financially sustainable.

The commission’s secretary said the retreat would focus on data reliability, fair remuneration, social dialogue, institutional capacity and governance.

She added that the commission planned to develop an action plan aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria Agenda 2050 and the Medium-Term National Development Plan for 2027 to 2030.

Also speaking, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Abel Enitan, emphasised the importance of improved workers’ welfare, institutional efficiency and the modernisation of government operations.

Enitan said salary administration was a matter of national importance, adding that a productive and well-equipped workforce was necessary to achieve the government’s development objectives.

He said the government was prioritising capacity development and the digitisation of civil service operations, with the aim of establishing a fully paperless working environment.

The Head of Service also linked civil service reforms to President Bola Tinubu’s target of building a $1tn economy by 2030, saying the ambition would require a workforce committed to productivity, integrity and effective service delivery.

The ongoing disagreement between the NLC and the Federal Government highlights the challenge of reconciling workers’ demands for improved purchasing power with fiscal constraints as both sides face pressure to prevent further industrial unrest.