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The Nigerian Trade Union Congress (TUC) has rejected the proposed grant of N70,000 stipend to civil servants by the federal government to cover transport costs.
The government at a meeting with the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) in Abuja on Tuesday, approved a monthly allowance of N70,000 for civil servants starting November. The agreement provides for payments at all levels over six months, although it does not specify the number of beneficiaries or the total amount budgeted for the intervention.
But the TUC is demanding immediate pay rises for workers and the implementation of an extraordinary agreement with health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions.
The TUC accused the Federal Government of failing to meet its 2023 remuneration obligations to some workers and ignoring a seven-month agreement on adjustments to the Consolidated Health Pay Structure for health workers under JOHESU.
Congress, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary General, NA Toro, said that it has written to the Federal Government through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, demanding an immediate salary review in response to the rising cost of living.
The TUC argues that the government does not need to wait for negotiations on a national minimum wage before raising workers’ wages, given there is no legal limit on how much employers can pay their workers.
It said, “The Federal Government should raise workers’ wages. This relies on the fact that the government does not require minimum wage negotiations before raising workers’ wages, as there is no maximum wage law in the country.”
Congress proposed that the Federal Government could raise the salaries of the lowest paid workers to N300,000 from the current N70,000 and implement appropriate consequential adjustments to other salary levels.
They stated that while negotiations on a national minimum wage remain important, this should not be used as an excuse to delay urgent pay increases for workers struggling with rising prices for food, transport, healthcare and other essential expenses.
The TUC said its leadership had held a consultative meeting with government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, where they rejected the wage award proposal.
Explaining its rejection, the congress said a previously negotiated pay rollout in October 2023 had not been fully implemented, raising concerns about the credibility of other temporary arrangements.
“The wage awards agreed between the FGN and organized labor on October 2, 2023 will be implemented until the minimum wage is agreed in 2024 but have never been implemented holistically,” the statement said.
He added that some workers were still owed a month or two of payments, while others had not received any benefits at all.
Congress also alleged that workers who received awards did not always receive monthly payments, with some even experiencing lag times of one or two months and having to submit claims repeatedly before receiving their entitlements.
The report further stated that more than 80 percent of states and workers in the informal sector have not benefited from any form of remuneration.
“How can we return to equal pay that never benefits all workers? How can workers be expected to trust new promises when previous obligations remain unpaid?” TUC asked.
Congress has insisted that permanent raises would provide more reliable relief than temporary benefits, which it says have failed to reach workers uniformly.
The statement said, “Negotiations over a new national minimum wage should not be an excuse to delay urgent wage increases.”
In addition to pay rises, the TUC is calling on federal, state and local governments to make measured interventions to reduce the costs of essential goods and services.
Speaking on the JOHESU agreement, the TUC accused the Federal Government of failing to honor the agreement reached with the union following months of industrial action.
According to the congress, Osifo led an organized labor delegation, including JOHESU leaders and other labor congress representatives, in negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute.
The negotiations culminated in a conciliation meeting at the Federal Ministry of Labor and Employment, where both sides agreed to a communiqué.
“Even though the workers kept their promises, the government did not keep its promises,” the statement said.
The TUC described the delay as a breach of the principle of good faith, and warned that failure to honor the agreement could undermine confidence in collective bargaining between the government and labor organizations.
They demanded immediate implementation of CONHESS adjustments, publication of a clear implementation schedule, provision of necessary budget allocations and resolution of all outstanding issues in consultation with relevant trade unions.
Congress said health workers should not be expected to continue providing essential services if commitments made to them remain unfulfilled.
