The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has criticised the Trade Union Congress for rejecting the Federal Government’s proposed ₦70,000 transport allowance for workers, arguing that the TUC was not part of the negotiations that produced the agreement.
Ajaero said the NLC had negotiated independently with the Federal Government after disagreements emerged between the two major labour centres over the timing and process for reviewing workers’ wages.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, the NLC president expressed surprise that the TUC was opposing an arrangement it neither negotiated nor signed.
“Why is TUC challenging what was gotten for the workers when we stated clearly that NLC was acting alone?” he asked.
“The agreement was not signed by TUC, and you don’t kick against something that you didn’t negotiate, you never asked for,” Ajaero added.
He said he would have preferred the TUC to push for a higher allowance rather than reject the outcome, suggesting that competing demands from both unions could have helped them reach a common position with the government.
“I would have preferred a situation whereby if NLC was asking for one naira, TUC would be asking for 10 naira, and probably the government would harmonise it,” he said.
Ajaero traced the disagreement to differences over when negotiations for a new minimum wage should begin. According to him, the NLC disagreed with the TUC’s reported position that the process should commence in August 2027, insisting that the law did not support that timeline.
He said the NLC subsequently proceeded with its own engagement with the government and publicly clarified that it was not negotiating jointly with the TUC.
The dispute follows the TUC’s rejection of the proposed ₦70,000 transport allowance, which it described as inadequate in addressing the financial pressure on Nigerian workers. The congress has instead called for an immediate salary increase, arguing that temporary financial support cannot replace a meaningful adjustment to workers’ wages.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary-General, N.A. Toro, also accused the Federal Government of failing to fulfil outstanding obligations under the 2023 wage award for some workers.
The union further raised concerns over the alleged delay in implementing an agreement on adjustments to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure for health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions.
Responding to calls for a salary increase, Ajaero maintained that wage adjustments must follow an established negotiation process involving the relevant stakeholders. He said the NLC had called for the appropriate committee to begin work without delay.
The disagreement highlights continuing divisions within organised labour over how best to secure relief for workers amid rising living costs. While the NLC has defended its negotiations for the transport allowance, the TUC insists that a direct salary increase is needed to address the wider economic hardship facing Nigerian workers.