ABUJA, Nigeria — The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned of possible nationwide industrial action after negotiations with the Federal Government over workers’ welfare, petrol prices, wages and other labour demands ended without an agreement.
The labour union gave the government until Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to demonstrate meaningful progress on the outstanding issues, warning that its relevant organs would determine the next course of action if the next round of talks failed to produce concrete commitments.
The warning followed a meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja on Thursday, October 22.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the NLC expressed disappointment with what it described as the government delegation’s lack of preparedness for the negotiations, saying labour had presented its demands in good faith but received no concrete commitments.
The statement was signed by the congress’s Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah.
According to the NLC, the meeting ended without a resolution of the issues under discussion after the government delegation reportedly failed to secure the necessary mandates to negotiate substantively on the demands.
The union said the Minister of Labour requested an adjournment until October 27 to allow the government to make adequate preparations, including bringing relevant ministers and heads of departments and agencies to the negotiating table.
Among the key demands presented by organised labour is a reduction in petrol prices to levels recorded in 2024, alongside the renegotiation of the national minimum wage.
The NLC is also demanding the implementation of agreed tax relief measures, resolution of the terms of settlement involving the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), and action on demands submitted by the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC).
The issues raised by the JPSNC include peculiar allowances, wage awards and hazard allowances.
The congress maintained that the government must address the outstanding demands rather than allow negotiations to continue without measurable progress.
“The meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour, convened at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja on 22nd October 2026, has ended without resolution,” the NLC said in its statement.
It added that the union would report the outcome to its relevant organs, which would decide on the next steps if the October 27 meeting failed to produce meaningful progress.
The congress, however, said it remained committed to dialogue, stressing that its willingness to negotiate should not be interpreted as acceptance of indefinite delays in resolving workers’ concerns.
As part of its response, the NLC directed its affiliates, state councils and civil society allies to begin mobilising members in preparation for possible nationwide industrial action.
The union also urged affiliates of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to remain alert as organised labour awaits the outcome of the next meeting.
“However, we urge all affiliates of NLC and TUC; all state councils and our civil society allies to be alert and start mobilising for a possible action across the nation while we hope that the tenets of our demands are met by the government,” the statement added.
The mobilisation directive signals a possible escalation of tensions between organised labour and the Federal Government if the negotiations fail to resolve the outstanding issues.
A nationwide labour action could affect public services and economic activities, depending on the unions involved and the scope of any eventual directive. However, the NLC has not announced a definite strike date in the statement provided.
The October 27 meeting is therefore expected to be a critical opportunity for both sides to narrow their differences, address the demands and avert a broader industrial dispute.
For now, the congress has left the door open to dialogue while warning that workers could be called upon to take further action if the government fails to make meaningful progress.
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