The leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday rejected the proposed N70,000 transportation allowance for workers by the Federal Government.

The Congress, which described the government’s plan as “haphazard measures” of cushioning the effects of fuel subsidy removal, demanded immediate salary increment for workers.

The government had on Tuesday approved a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public servants beginning in November, to cushion the impact of rising living costs.

The approval was one of the resolutions reached at a conciliation meeting between the federal government and the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abuja.

At the meeting, the government also approved the payment of outstanding peculiar allowance arrears, effective from May 1, 2026, in three equal monthly instalments beginning in November.

But rising from its National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting, the TUC argued that while it is good to negotiate minimum wage which will affect other cadre of workers, the government must raise wage level immediately.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the President of TUC, Festus Osifo, who was flanked by the General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, said there are no law or historical practices stopping it from doing so.

According to him, temporary wage awards are not sustainable and far-reaching, saying the wage award agreed between the government and the organized labour was not implemented.

Osifo argued that the wage award that agreed on the 2nd of October 2023 was to be implemented until minimum wage was agreed in 2024 but was never implemented holistically.

He said, “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?

“Irregularity in the payment of the wage award of 2023 as those that even got up to four months’ wage award of N40,000 never got it every month but with one- or two-months’ interval and several pushes.

“Over 80% of the states and informal sector never implemented any form of wage award.

“From the foregoing we further reiterate our demand for a pay raise for all government workers as salary is the only consistent and far-reaching pay that workers could rely upon.

“This was our position during the consultative interaction and it’s still our position today; as we strongly believe that the long sacrifices of Nigerian workers should not be sacrificed at the altar of an ill-conceived temporary measure.

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

The labour leader maintained that during their last interaction with the government officials, they also opined that the economic crisis affects not only federal workers but also state and local government employees, pensioners, private sector workers and workers in the informal economy, who face rising costs of food, transportation, healthcare and other essentials.

The TUC, however, called on governments at all levels to implement measurable interventions to reduce the cost of essential goods and services, ensure timely payment of salaries and pensions, protect existing jobs, curb exploitative labour practices and revitalize the productive sector to create decent employment.

It also reiterated that these interventions must be inclusive, adequately funded and supported by clear implementation timelines, adding that the government must move beyond policy announcements and demonstrate tangible improvements in the living conditions of Nigerians.