Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero has challenged the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over its rejection of the Federal Government’s ₦70,000 transport intervention for workers, insisting that the union cannot oppose an agreement it did not participate in negotiating.
Ajaero made the remarks during an interview with journalists on Thursday, expressing surprise at the TUC’s position on the six-month intervention approved for workers across all levels.
He alleged that the TUC withdrew from the negotiations that produced the agreement and therefore had no basis for rejecting the outcome of discussions it did not actively pursue.
The NLC president maintained that the TUC could have presented its own demands, including a higher financial package, which the government might have considered alongside the NLC’s proposals.
According to Ajaero, the labour movement would have welcomed a situation in which both unions negotiated separate proposals that could eventually be harmonised by the government for the benefit of workers.
He also disputed the TUC president’s reported position that negotiations for a new minimum wage would not be due until August 2027, arguing that the claim was inconsistent with the applicable legal provisions.
Ajaero further alleged that the TUC had distanced itself from the negotiations, leaving the NLC to pursue the transport intervention independently. He said the union’s subsequent opposition was difficult to understand, given that the agreement was secured to improve workers’ welfare.
The labour leader insisted that the TUC remained free to campaign for a more substantial package, even one worth ₦1 million, but should not seek to undermine the benefits already secured through negotiations.
He urged the sister union to focus on pressing the government for additional relief, particularly as rising energy costs continue to intensify the financial pressure on Nigerian workers.
Ajaero described the ₦70,000 transport intervention as a significant achievement, noting that the amount is equivalent to the current national minimum wage and comes ahead of the next anticipated round of minimum wage negotiations in April 2027.
He added that the agreement followed years of sustained pressure by organised labour, including threats of industrial action, underscoring the role of collective bargaining and labour mobilisation in securing concessions from the government.
