Ajaero Fires Back At TUC Over ₦70,000 Transport Allowance
NLC president questions TUC’s rejection of FG’s proposed relief, says union did not participate in negotiations
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has criticised the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) for rejecting the Federal Government’s proposed ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for public servants, insisting that the union was not part of the negotiations.
Ajaero, who spoke on Morning Brief on Channels Television on Thursday, said the NLC negotiated the proposed allowance independently after seeking government intervention to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs.
He questioned why the TUC would oppose an agreement it neither negotiated nor requested.
“The agreement was not signed by TUC, and you don’t kick against something that you didn’t negotiate, you never asked for,” he said.
The NLC president argued that the TUC could have presented its own demands for the government to consider and possibly harmonise with those of the NLC.
He also recalled disagreements between the two labour centres over the timing of negotiations for a new minimum wage, noting that the TUC president, Festus Osifo, had maintained that fresh negotiations would not be due until August 2027.
According to Ajaero, the NLC disagreed with that position and urged the relevant committee to commence work immediately during its discussions with the Federal Government.
He further dismissed suggestions that both labour centres jointly negotiated the transport allowance, saying the NLC had publicly clarified that it was acting independently after the TUC distanced itself from the process.
The TUC had rejected the proposed allowance, arguing that it would not adequately address workers’ financial difficulties.
Osifo said the union was concerned that the scheme could suffer the same fate as the ₦40,000 wage award introduced in 2023, which he said many federal workers did not receive.
He urged the government to incorporate the relief into workers’ salaries through an increase, arguing that regular monthly salary payments would provide a more reliable means of delivering financial support.
The disagreement highlights growing differences between Nigeria’s two major labour centres over the best approach to easing the economic pressure on public sector workers.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has criticised the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) for rejecting the Federal Government’s proposed ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for public servants, insisting that the union was not part of the negotiations.
Ajaero, who spoke on Morning Brief on Channels Television on Thursday, said the NLC negotiated the proposed allowance independently after seeking government intervention to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs.
He questioned why the TUC would oppose an agreement it neither negotiated nor requested.
“The agreement was not signed by TUC, and you don’t kick against something that you didn’t negotiate, you never asked for,” he said.
The NLC president argued that the TUC could have presented its own demands for the government to consider and possibly harmonise with those of the NLC.
He also recalled disagreements between the two labour centres over the timing of negotiations for a new minimum wage, noting that the TUC president, Festus Osifo, had maintained that fresh negotiations would not be due until August 2027.
According to Ajaero, the NLC disagreed with that position and urged the relevant committee to commence work immediately during its discussions with the Federal Government.
He further dismissed suggestions that both labour centres jointly negotiated the transport allowance, saying the NLC had publicly clarified that it was acting independently after the TUC distanced itself from the process.
The TUC had rejected the proposed allowance, arguing that it would not adequately address workers’ financial difficulties.
Osifo said the union was concerned that the scheme could suffer the same fate as the ₦40,000 wage award introduced in 2023, which he said many federal workers did not receive.
He urged the government to incorporate the relief into workers’ salaries through an increase, arguing that regular monthly salary payments would provide a more reliable means of delivering financial support.
The disagreement highlights growing differences between Nigeria’s two major labour centres over the best approach to easing the economic pressure on public sector workers.
