The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed ₦70,000 wage award, insisting that workers need an immediate salary increase and full implementation of the outstanding agreement with health workers to address the worsening cost of living.
The congress said temporary wage awards were neither sustainable nor far-reaching, citing the failure to fully implement the 2023 wage award agreed upon by the government and organised labour.

In a statement signed by its President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary General, Comrade Nuhu Toro, the TUC urged the Federal Government to increase workers’ salaries without waiting for another national minimum wage negotiation.
The congress argued that the government faced no legal impediment to increasing salaries beyond the statutory minimum wage, noting that some state governments had already raised their minimum wages above ₦100,000.

It maintained that the government could immediately raise the pay of its lowest-paid workers to ₦300,000, with appropriate consequential adjustments for other salary levels.
According to the TUC, the statutory minimum wage sets a wage floor, not a ceiling, allowing the government to improve workers’ earnings without waiting for a new minimum wage agreement.

The congress said it communicated its position to the Federal Government in a demand letter dated October 8, following a meeting of its National Administrative Council in Abuja.
It added that its leadership later consulted with government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, during which they discussed and rejected the proposed wage award.

Explaining its position, the TUC recalled that the wage award agreed upon on October 2, 2023, was intended to remain in effect until a new minimum wage was negotiated in 2024.
However, it alleged that the arrangement was never implemented comprehensively, leaving some workers with outstanding payments while others received nothing.

The congress also faulted the irregular payment of the previous award, saying some beneficiaries who received up to four months of the ₦40,000 award were paid at intervals of one or two months and only after repeated interventions.
It further alleged that more than 80 per cent of states and the informal sector did not implement any form of wage award.

“How can workers be expected to trust fresh promises when previous obligations remain outstanding?” the congress asked.
The TUC insisted that a regular salary increase would provide more dependable relief than temporary payments, particularly as workers continue to contend with rising food, transportation, healthcare and other essential expenses.

It called on governments at the federal, state and local levels to introduce measurable interventions to reduce the cost of essential goods and services, ensure prompt payment of salaries and pensions, protect existing jobs and curb exploitative labour practices.
The congress also urged the government to revitalise the productive sector to create decent employment, stressing that economic interventions must be adequately funded, inclusive and supported by clear implementation timelines.

It warned that policy announcements alone would not address the economic hardship facing workers and other vulnerable Nigerians without tangible improvements in their living conditions.
On the dispute involving the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), the TUC accused the Federal Government of failing to implement the agreement that led to the suspension of the union’s industrial action.

The congress said its president, Osifo, led the organised labour delegation, including JOHESU leaders and a representative of a sister labour centre, in efforts to resolve the dispute, which had lasted several months.
TUC said the negotiations culminated in a conciliatory meeting at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, where the parties agreed on a settlement.

The TUC said the agreement provided for the resolution of outstanding issues relating to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment without further delay.
However, it said seven months after the agreement, the adjustment remained unimplemented, despite JOHESU’s decision to suspend its industrial action in good faith.

The congress described the delay as a breach of the agreement and a threat to confidence in collective bargaining.
It called on the Federal Government to implement the CONHESS adjustment immediately, provide the necessary budgetary provisions, publish a clear implementation timetable and resolve all outstanding issues in consultation with the relevant unions.

TUC warned that health workers should not be expected to keep delivering essential services while the government’s commitments to them remained unfulfilled.
It pledged to stand with the affected unions and pursue all lawful measures necessary to secure compliance.

The congress said its position remained that workers were not seeking government favours but demanding economic and social justice to protect their livelihoods and dignity.
It added that it was awaiting the outcome of the scheduled meeting with the Federal Government before deciding on its next line of action.