NLC, TUC clash over who negotiates wages for Nigerian workers
NLC President Joe Ajaero claims his congress alone can negotiate wages for all Nigerian workers based on ILO's "most representative" principle, while TUC President Festus Osifo says his union was excluded from the ₦70,000 transport allowance talks. The dispute erupted after the federal government approved the six-month allowance for workers across all levels.
Ajaero, on Channels TV's The Morning Brief Monday, argued the 2005 Trade Union Amendment Act and Section 40 of the Constitution give workers freedom to choose unions, but noted only one TUC affiliate belongs to the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) — seven NLC affiliates hold the other seats. He said NLC issued an ultimatum, government requested four days, and the ₦70,000 allowance emerged from those meetings.
Osifo, appearing on the same programme, challenged Ajaero to cite the ILO regulation allowing one centre to negotiate for another. He said the ₦70,000 agreement wasn't a proper JNC meeting — no quorum, the Minister and Ajaero aren't council members, and TUC affiliates weren't present. Osifo noted the previous minimum wage delivered a 33% increase (₦30,000 to ₦70,000) through proper consequential adjustments, not unilateral announcements.
Ajaero maintains minimum wage demands require a formal negotiation committee with wider consultation among labour, government, and employers — which hasn't been constituted.
With two major labour centres claiming authority, federal workers should verify which union actually holds their bargaining rights in the JNC structure. The ₦70,000 allowance's legitimacy hinges on whether proper negotiation procedures were followed.