NLC President Ajaero Reacts As TUC Rejects N70,000 Transport Allowance For Workers

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has faulted the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over its rejection of the ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance recently approved for public servants by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Ajaero stated that the TUC was in no position to kick against the palliative scheme because the union never participated in negotiating interventions to cushion the rising cost of living.

The NLC President explained that while his union actively engaged the Federal Government for immediate relief measures for workers, the TUC distance itself and failed to make demands.

He stressed that the TUC cannot challenge a benefit secured for workers when it was made clear that the NLC acted independently during the process.

“You don’t kick against something you did not ask for or negotiate for. And you have asked for anything all these years, suddenly something was given to NLC and you now say you are kicking against it. TUC never asked for intervention as a result of rising cost of living,” Ajaero said.

“Why is TUC challenging what was gotten for the workers when we stated clearly that NLC was acting alone?” he added.

This conflict follows the TUC’s formal rejection of the ₦70,000 transport stipend, with the union describing it as a temporary palliative and demanding a ₦300,000 general pay raise instead.

The Tinubu administration had approved the ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for public workers starting in November to ease economic hardships following fuel price increases and ongoing negotiations for a new national minimum wage.