The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed its affiliate unions and state councils to begin mobilisation for possible nationwide industrial action after talks with the Federal Government ended without concrete commitments on workers’ demands.
The meeting, held at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja yesterday, October 22, 2026, ended in a deadlock, with organised labour giving the government until Tuesday, October 27, to make meaningful progress on the outstanding issues.
In a report published yesterday October 22, 2026, The Punch said the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) warned of possible nationwide action if the next round of negotiations failed to resolve the dispute.
The NLC’s Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, said the government delegation arrived without the necessary authority to negotiate substantively, preventing the meeting from producing concrete agreements.
“No concrete commitments were secured, and the outstanding issues remain unresolved,” the unions said in their statement, as reported by The Punch yesterday.
The Minister of Labour requested that the meeting be adjourned until October 27 to allow the government to prepare adequately and bring relevant ministers and heads of departments and agencies into the negotiations.
Labour is demanding a reduction in petrol prices to levels prevailing in 2024, renegotiation of the national minimum wage and implementation of previously agreed tax-relief measures.
The unions are also seeking implementation of the terms of settlement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU).
Other outstanding demands concern the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), including peculiar allowances, wage awards and hazard allowances for public-sector workers.
The dispute centres on workers’ earnings and purchasing power amid continuing concerns about the cost of living and the impact of petrol prices on transportation and other essential expenses.
The NLC had issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government on October 8, 2026, demanding action on petrol prices and the commencement of minimum-wage renegotiations. The deadline expired yesterday October 22 without an agreement, prompting the latest mobilisation directive.
According to The Guardian in its report published today October 23, 2026, the NLC said it would report the outcome of the meeting to its National Executive Council (NEC) and Central Working Committee (CWC), which would determine the next course of action if the government failed to make meaningful progress.
The congress reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue but warned against indefinite delays. It also urged workers and members of the public to remain calm while asking its affiliates, state councils and civil society allies to prepare for possible nationwide action.
Petrol prices remain a major point of contention. The Guardian reported today October 23 that petrol was selling at about ₦1,400 per litre as international crude oil prices hovered above $100 per barrel. Labour’s demand to return prices to 2024 levels would require the government and relevant stakeholders to address the gap between current pump prices and the levels sought by the unions.
No nationwide strike has been formally announced in the reports reviewed. The next meeting on October 27 is expected to determine whether negotiations can produce an agreement or organised labour will consider further action.
For workers and businesses, the outcome could have implications for public services, transportation and commercial activities if the dispute escalates into a nationwide shutdown.
