₦70,000 Transport Allowance: TUC Demands ₦300,000 Salary for Lowest-Paid Workers, Pensioners Protest Exclusion

ABUJA — The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has faulted the Federal Government’s proposed ₦70,000 monthly transport allowance for federal workers, insisting that a significant salary increase would provide a more meaningful response to the country’s economic challenges.

The allowance was reportedly agreed upon at a meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leadership on Tuesday.

The development has also triggered criticism from the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), which accused the government and the NLC of leaving retired workers out of a relief package intended to cushion the effects of the high cost of living.

The TUC said the government had the financial capacity to raise the salary of the lowest-paid worker from the current minimum wage of ₦70,000 to ₦300,000 without waiting for a fresh minimum wage review.

The position was contained in a statement signed by the congress’s President-General, Festus Osifo, and Secretary, Nuhu Toro.

According to the union, addressing the economic hardship confronting workers and the general population requires improved salaries and the implementation of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) agreement rather than reliance on temporary wage awards.

“Our position is unequivocal, workers are not asking for favours, they are demanding social and economic justice that protects their dignity and livelihoods,” the TUC declared.

The congress vowed to sustain its campaign for workers’ rights, expose violations of agreements and use every legitimate avenue to ensure the government fulfils its commitments.

It maintained that workers’ welfare must be prioritised, agreements respected and government obligations fulfilled.

The union rejected what it described as inadequate short-term relief, demanding fair wages for all categories of workers, social protection, lower living costs for vulnerable people and full compliance with existing agreements.

The TUC added that it would wait for the outcome of its scheduled meeting with the government before deciding on further action.

It also recalled that the wage award negotiated between the Federal Government and organised labour on October 2, 2023, was supposed to remain in effect until a new minimum wage was agreed upon in 2024.

However, the congress alleged that the arrangement was not implemented in full. It said some workers were still owed one or two months’ payments, while others never received the award.

The union consequently questioned the rationale behind proposing another wage award when the earlier one had not reached all intended beneficiaries.

“How can workers be expected to trust fresh promises when previous obligations remain outstanding,” it asked.

NUP Accuses Government, NLC of Neglecting Retirees

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners has separately condemned the exclusion of retirees from the six-month transport intervention approved for public servants from November 2026.

NUP National President, Godwin Abumisi, described the exclusion as “unjust,” saying it sent a painful message that retired Nigerians who had spent their working lives serving the country were being overlooked.

“Pensioners also depend on public transportation to access hospitals, attend medical appointments, purchase food, and other essential items,” Abumisi stated.

He noted that many pensioners depended on insufficient pension payments and lacked alternative sources of reliable income.

The union challenged the NLC to explain why it failed to negotiate comparable relief for retired workers while securing an intervention for serving employees.

It characterised the omission as evidence of the “insensitivity of civil servants to the plight of their former colleagues, now retired, whom they will eventually join in retirement.”

The NUP also raised concerns over the non-payment of the ₦25,000 monthly palliative contained in the Federal Government’s October 2, 2023, Memorandum of Understanding with the NLC and TUC.

The agreement provided for ₦25,000 monthly payments over three months to 15 million households, including vulnerable pensioners. Each eligible beneficiary was therefore entitled to a total of ₦75,000 under the arrangement.

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