The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed N70,000 wage award, calling for an immediate salary increase and the implementation of outstanding agreements with health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions.
The congress said temporary wage awards would not adequately address the growing economic hardship facing Nigerian workers, urging the government to prioritise salary increases over relief measures that may not be implemented consistently.
The TUC accused the Federal Government of failing to fulfil its 2023 wage award obligations to some workers and delaying the implementation of a seven-month-old agreement on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure for health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions.
The congress 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 TUC had written to the FG through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, demanding an immediate salary review to cushion the impact of rising living costs on workers.
The TUC argued that the Federal Government did not need to wait for negotiations on the national minimum wage before increasing workers’ salaries, stressing that there was no legal limit on the amount employers could pay their employees.
It said, “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 congress proposed that the Federal Government increase the salary of the lowest-paid worker to N300,000 from the current N70,000, with corresponding adjustments to other salary levels.
It stressed that although negotiations on the national minimum wage remained important, they should not be used to delay urgent salary increases for workers grappling with rising costs of food, transportation, healthcare and other essential needs.
The TUC added that its leadership had held consultative meetings with government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, during which it rejected the proposed wage award.
The congress said the Federal Government had yet to fully implement the wage award negotiated in October 2023, raising concerns over the reliability 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’ payments, while others had not received the allowance at all.
The congress also alleged that workers who received the wage award were not paid consistently each month, with some experiencing delays of one or two months and having to repeatedly demand payment of their entitlements.
