The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s ₦70,000 transport allowance for workers, describing temporary relief measures as inadequate and insisting that Nigerian workers need an immediate salary increase to survive the country’s worsening economic hardship.
The labour union has challenged the Federal Government to raise the salaries of the lowest-paid workers to ₦300,000, arguing that workers can no longer survive on promises and short-term interventions while the cost of living continues to soar.
In a statement following its National Administrative Council meeting held in Abuja on October 8, 2026, the TUC said it had formally written to the Federal Government, demanding urgent salary adjustments and comprehensive measures to ease the economic pressure on workers and ordinary Nigerians.
The union maintained that the government does not need to wait for negotiations over a new national minimum wage before increasing workers’ salaries.
“Federal Government should review and increase salaries of workers,” the TUC declared, stressing that there is no law prescribing a maximum wage in Nigeria.
Citing some state governments that have raised their minimum wages above ₦100,000, the congress argued that the Federal Government has the capacity to increase the salaries of its lowest-paid workers from the current ₦70,000 to ₦300,000, alongside corresponding adjustments for other salary grades.
‘Workers Cannot Survive on Temporary Relief’
Rejecting the six-month transport allowance announced by Tinubu, the TUC warned that temporary wage interventions are neither sustainable nor far-reaching enough to address the financial struggles confronting Nigerian workers.
The union questioned the wisdom of introducing another temporary relief package when previous commitments to workers remain unfulfilled.
It recalled that the wage award agreed upon by the Federal Government and organised labour on October 2, 2023, was not fully implemented, with some workers still owed payments and others allegedly receiving nothing.
According to the TUC, some workers who received the ₦40,000 monthly wage award experienced irregular payments, with delays of one or two months and repeated demands required before payments were made.
The congress also alleged that more than 80 per cent of states and workers in the informal sector did not benefit 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 union asked.
It insisted that a permanent salary increase remains the most reliable way to provide meaningful relief, warning that workers’ years of sacrifice must not be met with what it described as an ill-conceived temporary measure.
TUC Demands Relief for Nigerians as Cost of Living Bites Harder
Beyond salary increases, the congress called on the Federal Government, state governments and local authorities to take urgent steps to reduce the cost of essential goods and services.
It warned that the economic crisis extends far beyond federal civil servants, affecting state and local government employees, pensioners, private-sector workers and millions of Nigerians in the informal economy.
The union demanded timely payment of salaries and pensions, protection of existing jobs, an end to exploitative labour practices and renewed investment in productive sectors capable of creating decent employment.
It further called for inclusive and adequately funded interventions backed by clear implementation timelines, insisting that government announcements must translate into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
JOHESU Agreement: TUC Accuses FG of Breaking Its Promise
The TUC also renewed its demand for the immediate implementation of the agreement reached with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), warning that the Federal Government’s continued failure to honour its commitments is undermining trust in collective bargaining.
The congress said its president, Festus Osifo, led the organised labour delegation, alongside JOHESU leaders and representatives of its sister congress, in negotiations that helped resolve the health workers’ prolonged industrial action.
Following several meetings, both parties reportedly signed a communiqué outlining the terms of settlement, prompting JOHESU to suspend its strike in good faith.
However, the TUC alleged that seven months after the agreement, the promised adjustment to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) remains unimplemented.
The union described the delay as unacceptable, arguing that health workers had fulfilled their side of the agreement while the government had failed to deliver on its own commitments.
It called on the Federal Government to immediately implement the CONHESS adjustment, provide the necessary budgetary provisions, publish a clear implementation timetable and resolve all outstanding issues in consultation with the relevant unions.
“Health workers must not be expected to continue delivering essential services while commitments made to them remain unfulfilled,” the congress declared.
The TUC warned that it would stand firmly with affected health workers and pursue every lawful and legitimate measure necessary to compel the government to honour the agreement.
‘Workers’ Welfare Is Not a Privilege’
The congress stressed that Nigerian workers are not seeking favours but demanding economic justice, fair compensation and protection for their livelihoods.
It maintained that negotiations over a new national minimum wage must not become an excuse for delaying urgent salary increases, particularly as inflation and rising living costs continue to erode workers’ purchasing power.
Reiterating its opposition to inadequate temporary relief, the TUC demanded wage justice for all categories of workers, stronger social protection for vulnerable Nigerians, lower living costs and full compliance with agreements reached with organised labour.
The union said it was awaiting the outcome of a scheduled meeting with the Federal Government before deciding its next course of action.
With the TUC standing firm on its demands, pressure is mounting on the Tinubu administration to move beyond temporary relief and deliver concrete measures capable of restoring workers’ purchasing power and easing the economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians.
For the labour congress, the message is clear: workers need better salaries, not another round of promises.
TUC Rejects ₦70,000 Allowance, Demands ₦300,000 Minimum Wage
