Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), says the decision of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to reject the federal government’s N70,000 transport allowance for public sector workers is “improper”.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, Ajaero said officials of the TUC did not negotiate with the federal government on the subject.
On Wednesday, TUC rejected the federal government’s transportation palliative for public service workers across all levels for six months.
In a statement issued by Festus Osifo, TUC president, and Nuhu Toro, the secretary-general, the congress said temporary wage awards were neither “sustainable” nor “far-reaching”.
The TUC asked the federal government to increase workers’ salaries instead.
On Tuesday, the federal government announced the allowance in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) issued after a conciliation meeting between government representatives and NLC leaders in Abuja.
In a riposte, Ajaero said the TUC should have negotiated its own terms with the federal government instead of rejecting what NLC negotiated.
The NLC president said the leadership of the TUC does not have the power to reject the agreement terms of a sister agency.
Ajaero said the federal government cannot implement an increase in workers’ salaries without going through the right processes.
“The agreement was not signed by TUC. You don’t kick against something you did not negotiate or ask for,” he said.
“I would have preferred a situation whereby if NLC was asking for one naira, TUC will be asking for 10 naira.
“TUC never asked for intervention as a result of the rising cost of transportation. On the issue of asking for wage increase, does the government gift wage increase? There must be a process put in place.
“I’m worried for some time now why you will say you reject something that was not given to you. That is not proper.
“You don’t have the power to reject what a sister agency negotiates. You have the power to ask for your own.”
The TUC and NLC have also repeatedly demanded for an increase in minimum wage.
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