President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has faulted the Trade Union Congress(TUC) of Nigeria for rejecting the N70,000 monthly transport intervention allowance agreed with the Federal Government, saying the TUC did not negotiate the allowance and did not ask for any intervention in the first place.
Ajaero spoke on Channels Television on Thursday in response to the position of the TUC contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in which the TUC turned down the N70,000 allowance and demanded an immediate salary review that would see the lowest-paid federal worker earn up to N300,000.
The N70,000 given to the NLC by the Federal Government in their agreement was a monthly transport intervention allowance for six months to cushion the high cost of living and hike in fuel price.
The TUC had argued that the N70,000 award is a temporary measure that does not offer lasting relief to workers facing rising living costs.
It stressed that government does not need to negotiate a new national minimum wage before increasing salaries and that no law places a ceiling on what workers can be paid as maximum wage.
It cited the example of some states that have already increased their minimum wage to over N100,000, saying the Federal Government can do more by announcing a higher pay package with consequential adjustments across all grade levels.
Responding, Ajaero said the agreement was not signed by the TUC and that the Congress should not speak against something it did not negotiate and never asked for.
“The agreement was not signed by TUC. And you don’t speak against something that you didn’t negotiate. You never asked for. And if you never asked for anything all this years, and suddenly something was given to NLC, and you now say you are kicking against it.
“I would have preferred a situation whereby if NLC was asking for one naira, TUC would be asking for ten naira. Probably the government would harmonize it,’ he said.
He recalled that the first meeting with government was reported by the media as a meeting of the NLC and TUC, but the TUC threatened and said it was not part of it.
He said the NLC thereafter came up with a statement that it was on the engagement alone and not with the TUC.
He said he was therefore surprised why the TUC would be challenging what was secured for workers.
“And TUC never asked for intervention as a result of the rising cost of transportation and whatever. And 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. And then we came up 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,” he said.
On the issue of asking for wage increase, he said the NLC understand that there must be a process put in place for a substantive review, adding that while the same TUC said it should be put in place by August, the NLC had insisted in the meeting that the committee for the review should start work immediately.
“And on the issue of asking for wage increase…there must be a process put in place, which the same TUC said should be put in place by August. And then in this meeting we said that that committee should start work immediately. So I have been worried for some time now. You know, why you say you reject something that was not given to you,” he said.
