The National Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo has reaffirmed organised labour’s demand for a N500,000 minimum wage, saying the amount reflects the financial burden on Nigerian workers amid the rising cost of living.
Olowoyo said labour remained committed to the proposed wage but was open to reasonable negotiations with the Federal Government to reach an agreement that would improve workers’ welfare.
He spoke during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, following a meeting between organised labour and the Federal Government that lasted more than six hours to discuss workers’ welfare and measures to cushion the impact of rising petrol prices.
The labour leader also welcomed the Federal Government’s agreement to provide workers with N70,000 transport support monthly for six months, beginning in November, describing the intervention as a positive outcome of negotiations.
According to him, the agreement demonstrated the government’s willingness to address workers’ concerns, adding that labour expected the government to honour its commitment and implement the intervention as agreed.
“I think with the recent development that happened today, the negotiation lasted over six hours, and with the outcome of the meeting, I think it is a good omen,” Olowoyo said.
He explained that the transport support was designed to benefit workers at all levels, including those at the grassroots, following concerns over the increasing cost of transportation and the pressure of higher fuel prices on household budgets.
He maintained, however, that the N70,000 intervention should serve as temporary relief while discussions on a new minimum wage continued.
“The template of N500,000 is still subsisting. And at the same time, if government is able to dance around N500,000, we would be alright to support the President. So I want to believe that, like I told you, we are not going to be rigid, but at the same time, we’ll be reasonable,” he said.
The JNPSNC secretary explained that the proposed minimum wage was informed by the responsibilities workers shoulder, including providing for their immediate families, paying school fees and meeting other essential household expenses.
He stressed that although labour was not prepared to abandon its demand, it remained willing to negotiate with the government to arrive at a mutually acceptable figure.
Olowoyo also expressed confidence that the agreement reached with the government would lead to further discussions, particularly on the establishment of a tripartite committee to negotiate a new minimum wage, one of labour’s key demands.
He said the government’s decision to enter into an agreement with organised labour was an indication of its commitment, adding that labour expected the process to progress towards a lasting resolution of the minimum wage issue.
According to him, the agreement would benefit workers beyond the unions directly involved in the negotiations, as the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has more than 40 affiliate unions.
He explained that the negotiations initially involved the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council and eight unions before the NLC joined the process, broadening the scope of representation.
Olowoyo said the outcome should therefore be viewed as a collective achievement for Nigerian workers, irrespective of whether their unions were directly involved in the initial discussions.
He further expressed confidence that the government would implement the N70,000 monthly transport intervention, describing the signed agreement as a commitment that both parties were expected to respect.
The six-month support period is expected to run from November 2026 to April 2027. Olowoyo said organised labour hoped negotiations on a new minimum wage would be concluded before the intervention expires.
“We know government is going to implement it because that is commitment already,” he said.
He added that labour accepted the transport support because it considered the intervention a reasonable step towards addressing workers’ immediate challenges, while maintaining its demand for a higher minimum wage.
Olowoyo said the coming months would provide an opportunity for the government and organised labour to resolve outstanding issues and reach an agreement that would better reflect the economic realities facing Nigerian workers.
