A bitter leadership battle has erupted within Nigeria’s labour movement as the presidents of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) traded sharp words over the controversial ₦70,000 transport allowance approved by the Federal Government and the authority to negotiate on behalf of workers.
The dispute intensified on Monday when TUC President Festus Osifo accused NLC President Joe Ajaero of sidelining the TUC during negotiations that led to the six-month ₦70,000 transport intervention announced after talks with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Osifo described the agreement as an “aberration,” insisting that no labour centre has the right to negotiate on behalf of another without consultation. He challenged Ajaero to produce any International Labour Organization (ILO) regulation granting the NLC unilateral negotiating powers, arguing that both labour centres must be represented whenever workers’ interests are discussed.
Osifo further dismissed claims that the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) endorsed the agreement, maintaining that the meeting where the allowance was agreed upon was not a valid council session and did not include the necessary stakeholders. He also criticized previous wage adjustment calculations, alleging that workers ended up with poor outcomes because of flawed implementation.
In a swift rebuttal, Ajaero defended the NLC’s actions, insisting that the congress has the authority to negotiate independently under the ILO principle of the “most representative workers’ organization.” According to him, while the TUC can participate alongside the NLC in negotiations, it cannot act alone on national labour matters.
Ajaero claimed that the NLC’s dominant representation gives it a leading role in engagements with labour authorities and the ILO, adding that the TUC’s submissions on international labour matters are routed through the NLC. He also argued that the structure of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council heavily favours NLC-affiliated unions, weakening TUC’s claim of equal negotiating status.
Defending the ₦70,000 transport allowance, Ajaero said the concession emerged after the NLC issued an ultimatum to the government and suspended planned industrial action to allow negotiations. He maintained that broader discussions on a new minimum wage require a formal government negotiation committee and consultations with employers and labour stakeholders.
The public exchange has exposed deep cracks within Nigeria’s labour movement, with both leaders now locked in a high-stakes battle over representation, legitimacy, and control of workers’ negotiations. As the controversy over the ₦70,000 allowance continues, the feud raises fresh questions about labour unity at a time when Nigerian workers are grappling with rising living costs and economic hardship.
