NLC Plans May Day Protests Over Unpaid Salaries
The Nigeria Labour Congress has announced nationwide protests for May Day 2026 over the failure of some states to implement the new minimum wage.
The directive targets states yet to fully enforce the 2024 law. The union also ordered that indoor celebrations be cancelled in affected areas.
The move comes as workers complain about poor compliance with the wage increase approved last year.
The law raised the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, but many states are yet to apply it fully. Labour leaders said key aspects, including payments and adjustments, have been ignored.
“These violations constitute not only a breach of the law but an assault on the dignity of Nigerian workers,” the union added.
“Comrades, the 2024 Minimum Wage Act did not come through supplication. It came through struggle.
To celebrate May Day indoors while our rights are trampled upon is to betray that legacy. Let us therefore return to the streets!”
Workers in affected states have been directed to gather at public locations and hold peaceful marches.
The protests will end with the submission of demands to government offices. The union warned that any leader who ignores the order will face sanctions.
