Adedokun Waliyu The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has condemned the position of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), following its rejection of the ₦70,000 transport intervention approved by the Federal Government for workers across all levels for six months.
Ajaero made the comments while appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
The NLC president alleged that the TUC backed out of the negotiation process that led to the ₦70,000 transport intervention and therefore had no right to reject what it had not advocated for.
“The agreement was not signed by the Trade Union Congress; you don’t kick against something you did not negotiate or never asked for,” Ajaero said.
Ajaero said he would have preferred a situation in which the TUC negotiated for a higher intervention than what the NLC was requesting, allowing the government to harmonize both demands.
He alleged that the TUC president had said the minimum wage would be due for negotiation in August 2027. However, the NLC rejected that claim, arguing that it was not in line with the provisions of the law.
“They threatened us and said they are not part of it,” Ajaero said, adding that the NLC was on its own in securing the ₦70,000 transport intervention and was surprised by the TUC’s position on what had been negotiated for workers.
Speaking about workers’ welfare under the TUC, Ajaero said the union’s president had failed to advocate for financial support during the negotiations.
“He left them and never came out to say they needed one or two naira, and now that we are done with this negotiation, he is still free to agitate for one million naira but not to reject what we have gotten,” he said.
He stated that the TUC had no power to reject the intervention secured by its sister union. Instead, he argued, it should advocate for a higher amount amid increasing hardship caused by rising energy prices.
The labour leader argued that securing an additional ₦70,000, equivalent to the current national minimum wage, just months before the next minimum wage negotiation scheduled for April 2027, made the transport intervention a major achievement.
He noted that the breakthrough followed several years of pressure by organized labour, including threats of industrial action.
