Rufai Oseni blasts Ajaero, Osifo: 'Labour is dead' over N70k transport allowance dispute
Arise TV anchor Rufai Oseni tore into NLC president Joe Ajaero and TUC president Festus Osifo on Tuesday, calling both men "thoroughly ashamed" and declaring organised labour "dead" under the current administration. The attack came during his Morning Show reaction to their public feud over the Federal Government's N70,000 transport allowance for public sector workers.
The allowance, approved for six months, sparked the dispute after TUC rejected it, insisting NLC couldn't negotiate on behalf of TUC affiliates without their participation. Osifo called the arrangement an "aberration." Ajaero countered that NLC's numerical strength and ILO-recognised majority representation give it independent negotiating authority.
Oseni argued labour has lost the unity and advocacy standards of past leaders like Peter Esele. He accused the current leadership of staying silent while government failed on multiple promises to workers and purchasing power collapsed. "Wages cannot really take you anywhere," Oseni said. "This government failed on many promises made to labour, and labour has just been quiet about it."
The split leaves 20 million organised workers without cohesive representation at a time when inflation erodes real income daily. TUC's rejection suggests the allowance implementation faces complications, while the leadership vacuum means no unified voice for coming minimum wage reviews.
If labour centres can't unite on a basic transport allowance, how will they withstand pressure on the next national minimum wage negotiation?