NLC Targets Minimum Wage Defaulters in Private Sector, Warns of Mass Picketing

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE — July 8, 2025 | IDNN LABOUR & INDUSTRY DESK —
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a nationwide ultimatum to private sector employers still violating the newly legislated ₦70,000 minimum wage, warning that mass picketing and legal action will commence against companies that continue to underpay workers.

In a communique released after its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Abeokuta, the NLC said it is now shifting focus toward enforcement in the informal and unregulated private sector, where some workers reportedly earn as low as ₦15,000 monthly.

“We will focus on the private sector to ensure every eligible worker receives the minimum wage. No category will be left behind,” said NLC Assistant Secretary-General Onyeka Christopher.

Public Sector Progress, Private Sector Failure

While many government agencies and state governments have reportedly begun implementing the ₦70,000 wage law passed in July 2024, NLC leaders say that some states are underpaying, and enforcement in the private sector remains “woefully inadequate.”

“The bigger breach lies in the unorganised private sector,” said Christopher. “This is where workers are the most vulnerable, without contracts, job security or a voice.”

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has echoed the NLC’s concerns, with strikes in 2024 helping to push through the wage increase, but implementation remains patchy.

Enforcement to Include ‘Name and Shame’

Economist Illias Aliyu urged the unions to move beyond wage agitation and embrace naming and shaming of violators, noting that without enforcement, the wage hike is meaningless in the face of galloping inflation.

“The NLC should say, ‘ABC have implemented, CBD haven’t,’” he said.

Aliyu also warned that inflation must be tackled to give the new wage real value. “A ₦1 million salary in a broken economy solves nothing,” he said.

NLC to Target Union-Busting Employers

The labour body also accused some employers of flouting union laws by forcing workers into specific unions or blocking unionisation altogether—an act the NLC said violates the Trade Union Act and ILO Conventions.

“We direct affiliate unions to resist and picket any employer engaging in this illegality,” the communique stated.

The NLC also reaffirmed its opposition to removing labour matters from the Exclusive Legislative List, a move currently being debated in the constitutional review process. It warned lawmakers to brace for protests if they support the bill.

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