The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has urged the Trade Union Congress to negotiate its own terms with the Federal Government. He said the TUC cannot reject the ₦70,000 transport allowance that the NLC agreed with the government for public sector workers.
Vanguard reported that the TUC rejected the proposed ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for federal workers, which the NLC agreed to after a meeting.
According to the TUC, the Federal Government has the resources to pay ₦300,000.
In a statement signed by its President-General, Festus Osifo, and its Secretary, Nuhu Toro, the TUC said the prevailing economic hardship facing workers and the wider population called for a salary increase. It also called for the implementation of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) agreement, in view of the proposed measures to address the hardship.
Ajaero responded in an interview on Channels TV on Thursday. He said TUC officials did not negotiate with the Federal Government on the subject.
He described the TUC’s position on the allowance as improper.
He noted that the TUC leadership does not have the power to reject the agreement terms of a sister agency.
The NLC president said: “I would have preferred a situation whereby if NLC was asking for one Naira, TUC will be asking for 10 Naira.
“TUC never asked for intervention as a result of the rising cost of transportation. On the issue of asking for wage increase, does the government gift wage increase? There must be a process put in place.
“I’m worried for some time now why you will say you reject something that was not given to you. That is not proper.
“You don’t have the power to reject what a sister agency negotiates. You have the power to ask for your own.”
