TUC REJECTS FG’S N70,000 TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE, DEMANDS N300,000 MINIMUM SALARY

By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed N70,000 wage award, calling for an immediate salary increase for workers and the implementation of outstanding agreements with health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).

The congress described temporary wage awards as inadequate to address the worsening economic hardship facing Nigerian workers, insisting that the government should implement permanent salary increases rather than rely on relief measures that may not reach all workers consistently.

It also accused the Federal Government of failing to fully honour its 2023 wage award commitments to some workers and neglecting a seven-month-old agreement on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for health workers under JOHESU.

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The TUC stated its position in a statement issued on Wednesday by its President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary-General, N.A. Toro, following a National Administrative Council meeting held in Abuja on October 8, 2026.

According to the statement, the congress had written to the Federal Government through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, demanding an immediate salary review in response to rising living costs.

The TUC argued that the government did not need to wait for negotiations on the national minimum wage before increasing workers’ salaries, noting that no law sets a maximum wage employers can pay.

“The Federal Government should review increasing workers’ salaries. This was hinged on the fact that the government does not require the minimum wage to be negotiated before increasing workers’ pay, as there is no maximum wage law in the country,” the statement said.

The congress proposed that the government increase the salary of the lowest-paid worker from N70,000 to N300,000, with corresponding adjustments to other salary grades.

It maintained that although negotiations on the national minimum wage remained important, they should not be used to delay urgent salary increases for workers struggling with rising food, transportation, healthcare and other essential costs.

The TUC disclosed that its leadership had held consultations with government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, during which it rejected the proposed wage award.

Explaining its position, the congress said the previous wage award, negotiated in October 2023, had not been fully implemented, raising concerns about the credibility of another temporary arrangement.

“The wage award agreed between FGN and organised labour on the 2nd of October 2023 was to be implemented until a minimum wage was agreed in 2024 but was never implemented holistically,” the statement said.

It added that some workers were still owed one or two months of payments, while others had yet to receive the allowance at all.

The congress further alleged that workers who received the award were not always paid monthly, with some experiencing delays of one or two months and having to make repeated demands before receiving their entitlements.

It also claimed that more than 80 per cent of states and workers in the informal sector had not benefited from any form of wage award.

“How do we go back to the same wage award that never benefited all workers? How can workers be expected to trust fresh promises when previous obligations remain outstanding?” the TUC asked.

The congress argued that a permanent salary increase would provide more reliable relief than temporary allowances, which it said had not benefited workers uniformly.

“Negotiations of a new national minimum wage must not become an excuse for postponing urgent pay increment,” it stated.

Beyond salary increases, the TUC urged federal, state and local governments to introduce measurable interventions to reduce the cost of essential goods and services.

It called for the timely payment of salaries and pensions, protection of existing jobs, an end to exploitative labour practices and the revitalisation of the productive sector to generate decent employment opportunities.

The congress noted that the economic hardship extended beyond federal workers to state and local government employees, pensioners, private-sector workers and people in the informal economy.

It called for adequately funded interventions with clear implementation timelines, stressing that government announcements must translate into tangible improvements in Nigerians’ living conditions.

JOHESU AGREEMENT REMAINS UNIMPLEMENTED

The TUC also accused the Federal Government of failing to honour an agreement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions following months of industrial action.

According to the congress, Osifo led a delegation of organised labour, including JOHESU leaders and a representative of another labour congress, in negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute.

The negotiations culminated in a conciliation meeting at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, where both parties agreed on a communiqué.

The Federal Government’s delegation was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, alongside the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, and the then Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

The TUC said JOHESU suspended its industrial action in good faith after the agreement was signed but alleged that the government had failed to fulfil its own commitments.

The agreement included the resolution of outstanding issues concerning the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, which determines the salaries of affected health workers.

However, the congress claimed that the adjustment remained unimplemented seven months after the agreement was reached.

“While the workers have kept their side of the bargain, the government hasn’t kept its side of the agreement,” the statement said.

The TUC described the delay as a breach of good faith, warning that failure to honour agreements could undermine confidence in collective bargaining between the government and organised labour.

It demanded the immediate implementation of the CONHESS adjustment, the publication of a clear implementation timetable, the provision of necessary budgetary allocations and the resolution of all outstanding issues in consultation with the relevant unions.

The congress insisted that health workers should not be expected to continue providing essential services while government commitments to them remained unfulfilled.

“The TUC demands tangible action, not further assurances,” it said, pledging to support the affected unions and pursue lawful measures to compel the government to honour the agreement.

Reiterating its position, the congress said workers were not seeking favours but demanding improved living conditions and respect for their rights.

“Workers’ welfare is not a privilege. Agreements must be honoured. Workers’ rights must be respected. Government must comply,” the statement added.

The TUC said it was awaiting the outcome of its scheduled meeting with the Federal Government before deciding on its next course of action. It did not announce an immediate nationwide strike in the statement.

The dispute comes amid Nigeria’s prolonged cost-of-living crisis, which has intensified pressure on organised labour to secure better wages and measures to protect workers’ purchasing power.

In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the new national minimum wage law, increasing the statutory minimum monthly wage from N30,000 to N70,000 following negotiations between the Federal Government and organised labour.

The agreement followed months of disagreement over workers’ pay amid rising transportation, food and household costs associated with the removal of the petrol subsidy and other economic reforms.

Although the N70,000 minimum wage established a new statutory wage floor for eligible workers, it did not automatically resolve demands for salary adjustments across different grades or address the broader increase in living expenses.

The 2023 wage award was introduced as an interim relief measure while negotiations on the new minimum wage were ongoing. The TUC’s latest position renews concerns about the implementation of that arrangement and calls for future relief to take the form of permanent salary increases.

The JOHESU dispute presents a separate but related challenge over remuneration and the implementation of agreements in the health sector, with the TUC demanding that the government fulfil its commitments on the CONHESS adjustment.