₦70,000 Allowance: Why Reject What You Didn’t Negotiate? NLC’s Ajaero Tackles TUC

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has questioned the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria’s (TUC) rejection of the federal government’s proposed ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for public servants, insisting that the NLC negotiated the arrangement independently.

Ajaero said the TUC neither participated in the negotiations nor requested the intervention to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs, expressing surprise that the labour centre would oppose an agreement it was not part of.

He made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Morning Brief on Channels Television, following the TUC’s rejection of the proposed allowance.

“The agreement was not signed by TUC, and you don’t kick against something that you didn’t negotiate, you never asked for,” Ajaero said.

He argued that rather than oppose the outcome of the negotiations, the TUC could have presented its own demands for consideration and possible harmonisation by the federal government.

“I would have preferred a situation whereby if NLC was asking for one Naira, TUC would be asking for ten Naira, and probably the government would harmonise it,” he said.

Ajaero recalled that the disagreement began when the TUC president, Festus Osifo, addressed a press conference and maintained that negotiations for a new minimum wage would not be due until August 2027.

According to the NLC president, his organisation disagreed with that position, arguing that it was inconsistent with the applicable legal provisions.

He also maintained that the TUC did not seek government intervention over rising transportation costs before the NLC commenced discussions with the federal government.

Ajaero further disputed reports suggesting that both labour centres were jointly involved in the negotiations, saying the TUC had expressly distanced itself from the process.

“When we started the first meeting, the media reported that NLC and TUC had a meeting. They threatened us and said they are not part of it,” he said.

He added that the NLC subsequently issued a statement clarifying that it was negotiating independently of the TUC.

“And then we came out with a statement that NLC is on this alone, we are not with TUC. So I would be surprised why TUC would be challenging what was gotten for the workers,” Ajaero said.

On the possibility of a wage increase, the NLC president argued that such an adjustment could not be granted without a formal process, adding that the same TUC had previously called for negotiations to begin in August 2027.

He said the NLC had, during its discussions with the government, called for the committee responsible for the process to commence work immediately.

Ajaero said he remained concerned about the TUC’s position, questioning why it would reject an intervention that was not negotiated on its behalf.

“I have been worried for some time now, you know, why you say you reject something that was not given to you,” he added.

LEADERSHIP reported on Wednesday that the TUC rejected the federal government’s proposed ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for public servants, arguing that the measure might not adequately ease workers’ financial difficulties.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Osifo said the union was concerned that the proposed intervention could suffer the same shortcomings as the wage award introduced by the federal government in 2023.

According to him, many federal government workers did not receive the ₦40,000 wage award introduced at the time, raising doubts about the effectiveness of another relief package.

“We sincerely think that what has been put on the table will not address the plight of workers because the one they put on the table in 2023, it did not work,” Osifo said.

He argued that incorporating the relief into workers’ salaries through an increase would provide a more dependable means of delivering financial support, given that salaries are paid regularly each month.

“But when it’s infusing salary as increment, the salary will come at the end of every month. So it’s just a matter of time,” he added.