The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, led by Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, have announced that the new minimum wage negotiations will commence in July 2026 amidst high cost of living in the country.
This was revealed in a joint speech delivered by the leadership of both unions at the 2026 May Day celebration held at Eagle Square, an address which contained economic and political warnings alongside threats of industrial actions if conditions fail to improve.
According to the speech, the unions demanded a 100% payment of basic salaries to workers to help cushion the effect of harsh economic realities. “We will commence the process early to avoid the painful delays of the past,” they said. “We demand that from July of this year, every worker be paid 100% of his basic salary… to cushion the effects of the renewed crisis of survival. We demand a living wage, not a minimum wage.”
In another reaction, the union also criticised the economic reforms of the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu, taking a direct aim at the government’s economic narratives. They opined that macroeconomic indicators do not necessarily reflect reality, as more Nigerians live below the poverty line.
In their words, “We are told that GDP growth may reach about 3.6%… yet poverty continues to rise. We hear official inflation figures… but these numbers do not reflect the reality experienced daily by workers. Approximately 10,000 people are pushed into poverty every day.”
On the nation’s insecurity issues, the unions described the situation as a state of war, while rejecting the framing of these attacks as isolated. According to them, it is a war against Nigerians.
“The scale of violence, the frequency of attacks, and the mounting loss of lives… place Nigeria among the most dangerous places to live on earth,” they said.
They pointed out recent killings, bombings, and abductions across multiple states within a short period of time, noting that thousands have died and millions have been displaced. “People are no longer safe in their homes, on the roads, or even in their workplaces. Daily life has become a gamble with fate,” they lamented.
They further warned that the unions may take the unprecedented step of directing workers to stay home if insecurity persists.
According to them, “Nigerian workers may no longer continue going to work with this level of insecurity. We may be forced to advise our members… to stay at home to avoid being kidnapped, abducted or killed.”
They also stressed that such a decision would not be taken lightly but could become unavoidable if the situation persists with no solution in sight.
