Tinubu urged to settle unpaid subsidy-removal relief for pensioners
The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have agreed to immediately constitute a Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee, while approving a N70,000 monthly transport intervention for workers for six months beginning November 2026.
  
However, both parties have yet to resolve their disagreement over the effective date for implementing a new national minimum wage, following a conciliation meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja yesterday.
  
This was as the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the payment of three months’ N25,000 subsidy-removal palliatives for vulnerable citizens.
  
The resolutions, reached at the meeting between the Federal Government and NLC leadership, also provided for the payment of outstanding peculiar allowances to eligible public servants in three monthly instalments beginning in November, as well as the settlement of 19 months’ arrears of allowances owed to health workers within three months from December 2026.
  
This comes amid mounting pressure from organised labour for urgent measures to address the rising cost of living and improve workers’ purchasing power.
  
According to the resolutions signed by representatives of both parties, the Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee is to be constituted and commence meetings immediately, although the disagreement over the effective date of implementation remains unresolved.
  
The development leaves the commencement of negotiations as the immediate step towards addressing workers’ demands, while the implementation timeline remains a contentious issue between government and labour.
  
The conciliation meeting followed an earlier meeting last Thursday after the NLC expressed concerns over the Federal Government’s handling of demands relating to workers’ welfare.
 
The issues considered included the commencement of minimum wage discussions, reduction in petrol pump prices, palliatives to cushion the impact of economic challenges on workers, public service welfare, the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), tax relief and hazard allowances for agricultural workers.
  
On the transport intervention, the government agreed that N70,000 would be paid monthly across all levels for six months, commencing in November 2026.
  
The resolution did not specify the detailed payment mechanism or whether the intervention would be extended beyond the six months.

The government also confirmed approval of the peculiar allowance with effect from May 1, 2026, with payment of the accumulated arrears scheduled to begin in November in three equal monthly instalments.
  
For health workers, the parties agreed that 19 months’ arrears of allowances would be redeemed within three months, beginning in December 2026.
  
The commitments address some of the welfare issues raised by labour, although the resolutions did not indicate that the separate demand for a reduction in petrol prices had been granted.
  
On tax relief for workers, the meeting agreed that the issue would be referred to the National Economic Council, noting that taxation is a statutory matter.
  
The Federal Government and labour also considered the outstanding hazard allowance for agricultural officers.
  
According to the resolutions, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had submitted the list of beneficiaries and the associated financial implications to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission for verification.

FEPPPAN called for urgent action on pension harmonisation, the payment of outstanding entitlements and improved access to healthcare for retirees under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).
  
The demands were contained in a communiqué issued after FEPPPAN’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja and signed by its President-General,  Benjamin Amako, and General Secretary, Franklin Erinle.
  
On pension harmonisation, the association expressed concern over the implementation, which it said took effect in January 2026.
   
It called for the release of the government circular guiding the policy to clarify the position of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and explain how the exercise would affect pensioners.
  
Insisting that harmonisation should result in increased monthly pension benefits for all pensioners, the association urged the relevant authorities to explain the terms, implementation process and implications of the policy.