Precious Nwonu, Enugu

The Federal Government and organised labour are set to resume negotiations over petrol prices, workers’ wages and other unresolved welfare concerns, with the outcome expected to determine whether the unions will embark on nationwide industrial action.

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress are demanding concrete commitments from the government as their extended deadline for resolving the disputes expires on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

The unions want petrol prices reduced to levels prevailing when the N70,000 minimum wage was signed into law in 2024, immediate wage awards, tax relief for workers and the commencement of negotiations for a new minimum wage.

The NLC Assistant Secretary-General, Chris Onyeka, confirmed the planned meeting, saying labour expected the government to respond to demands already presented rather than begin another round of discussions without clear proposals.

“We expect them to come with answers to our demands, so that the meeting will not be prolonged,” Onyeka told journalists on Monday.

He added that the unions did not expect government representatives to ask them to restate demands that had already been submitted.

A source within organised labour said the government had requested additional time to prepare for the meeting, while a Trade Union Congress official said the outcome would determine the unions’ next course of action.

The Federal Ministry of Labour’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Ann Daniel, also confirmed the planned talks, although she noted that the meeting could still be subject to changes.

The negotiations follow a meeting on October 22 that ended without an agreement. The NLC and TUC said the government delegation arrived without the authority required to negotiate meaningfully or make concrete commitments.

In a joint statement signed by the acting NLC General Secretary, Benson Upah, and TUC Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro, the unions said the government had requested an adjournment to enable relevant ministers and heads of departments and agencies to attend the next session.

The unions subsequently extended their deadline to October 27, warning that nationwide action remained an option if the government failed to address their demands.

The NLC had initially issued a two-week ultimatum on October 8, calling for lower petrol prices, the commencement of minimum wage negotiations before the end of October and the resolution of outstanding labour agreements.

 Disagreement over minimum wage review

A major point of contention is when negotiations should begin to replace the current N70,000 monthly minimum wage.

The Federal Government maintains that the next review is due on June 1, 2027, citing the three-year review cycle provided 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 a fresh review barely two years after the current wage took effect as premature and potentially disruptive to industrial relations.

The NLC, however, insists that preparations should begin immediately to allow sufficient time for negotiations and implementation.

In a letter dated October 13, NLC 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 government, organised labour and employers.

President Bola Tinubu signed the current minimum wage legislation into law on July 29, 2024, increasing the statutory minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 after prolonged negotiations.

Although the government has pointed to the 133 per cent increase as a significant adjustment, labour argues that inflation, the depreciation of the naira and rising living costs have eroded workers’ purchasing power.

Ajaero has maintained that many workers are struggling to afford transportation, food, housing, healthcare and education despite the higher statutory wage.

 Fuel prices, allowances top labour demands

Petrol prices remain a major source of disagreement, with labour arguing that higher fuel costs have increased transportation expenses and contributed to rising prices of food and other essential goods.

The NLC wants prices reduced to the levels recorded when the current 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 the rising cost of living.

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 said it was engaging relevant ministries, departments and agencies to address matters within the government’s responsibility.

 Pensioners demand N75,000 outstanding palliative

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

The association said the outstanding payments represented three instalments of the N25,000 monthly support promised to eligible beneficiaries.

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

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

It urged the authorities to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to address complaints and resolve outstanding cases concerning the exercise.

FEPPPAN further appealed to PTAD to ensure that the planned relaunch of its ‘I Am Alive’ verification platform did not disrupt pension payments to elderly, sick or physically incapacitated retirees.

It called for clear guidelines and adequate assistance to prevent eligible pensioners from being excluded because they could not complete verification procedures without support.

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

 Pensioners seek easier access to healthcare

The association also called on PTAD and the National Health Insurance Authority to simplify enrolment in the Pensioner Health Insurance Scheme.

It recommended assisted registration, accessible enrolment centres and support for retirees who are unable to travel because of age, illness or disability.

According to the association, administrative and technological challenges could prevent eligible pensioners from accessing healthcare benefits.

It urged the relevant agencies 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 said.

FEPPPAN also called for an effective complaints-resolution mechanism and clearer information on pension entitlements, verification procedures, healthcare enrolment and eligibility requirements.

The association said transparent pension administration was essential to protecting retirees’ dignity, welfare and financial security amid rising living costs.

It urged the government and relevant agencies to consider its resolutions favourably and ensure that pensioners receive their entitlements without unnecessary delays or interruptions.

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

The outcome of Tuesday’s meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour is expected to shape the next phase of the dispute over workers’ welfare, fuel prices and minimum wage negotiations.