Nigerian government resumes wage talks with unions
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch
The Nigerian federal government and unions are resuming talks on petrol prices, wages and social demands, after an initial meeting ended without agreement. The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress are to assess government proposals before their ultimatum expires, according to Punch.
The Nigerian government is due to resume wage talks with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday 27 October, as the unions threaten a nationwide mobilisation. The workers’ organisations are awaiting concrete proposals on petrol prices, wages and other social demands, Chris Onyeka, the NLC’s deputy general secretary, told Punch.
The unions are calling, among other things, for petrol prices to return to their 2024 level, tax relief for workers, the immediate payment of a wage bonus and talks on a new minimum wage to begin before the government’s planned review in June 2027. A previous meeting ended without agreement, and the outcome of Tuesday’s meeting is expected to determine the workers’ organisations’ next move, according to a TUC official quoted by Punch.
The meeting comes as the five-day extension to the unions’ ultimatum, issued on 22 October, expires. They had previously set 27 October as the possible start of a nationwide mobilisation if their demands were not met.
