The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have announced they will restart negotiations with the Federal Government over a new national minimum wage, warning that workers can no longer cope with rising living costs as inflation continues to erode real incomes.
The position of the unions was contained in a joint address delivered at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva. The unions are pushing for what they described as a genuine living wage to replace the current framework, which they said no longer reflects Nigeria’s economic realities, particularly sharp increases in food, transport, housing, and healthcare costs.
They rejected any proposal to tax the minimum wage or impose additional fiscal burdens on low-income earners. The current minimum wage of N70,000 was signed into law on July 18, 2024, with a three-year review cycle that was later adjusted to two years by the Federal Government in January 2025, effectively setting 2026 as the next review point.
The labour leaders said they intend to formally open discussions with the federal government ahead of the July 2026 wage renegotiation deadline to avoid the painful delays of the past, and warned that taxing the minimum wage would worsen poverty and deepen economic hardship at a time when many citizens are struggling to meet basic needs.
Beyond wage concerns, the labour movement highlighted broader economic and social challenges, including insecurity, unemployment, and rising poverty levels, noting that nearly 2,000 people were killed in the first quarter of the year, while millions have been displaced, and warning that worsening insecurity could force workers to remain at home as a survival response.
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