The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed N70,000 wage award, demanding that the lowest-paid worker’s salary be raised to N300,000 amid worsening economic hardship.
The congress said temporary allowances were inadequate to cushion the impact of rising food, transport and healthcare costs, insisting that the government should prioritise permanent salary increases instead.
It also accused the Federal Government of failing to fully implement the 2023 wage award and honour a seven-month-old agreement to adjust the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
The TUC made its position known in a statement issued on Wednesday by its President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary-General, N.A. Toro, following a National Administrative Council meeting held in Abuja on October 8, 2026.
According to the congress, it had written to the Federal Government through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, demanding an immediate salary review.
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The labour body argued that the government did not need to wait for negotiations on the national minimum wage before increasing workers’ salaries, noting that there was no legal ceiling on how much employers could pay.
“The Federal Government should review increasing workers’ salaries. This was hinged on the fact that the government does not require the minimum wage to be negotiated before increasing workers’ pay, as there is no maximum wage law in the country,” the statement said.
The TUC proposed raising the salary of the lowest-paid worker to N300,000 from the current N70,000, with corresponding adjustments across other salary levels.
It said negotiations on a new minimum wage should not be used to delay urgent pay increases for workers struggling to meet basic needs.
The congress also questioned the credibility of another temporary wage award, alleging that the previous arrangement negotiated by organised labour and the Federal Government in October 2023 had not been fully implemented.
“The wage award agreed between FGN and organised labour on the 2nd of October 2023 was to be implemented until a minimum wage was agreed in 2024 but was never implemented holistically,” it said.
The TUC claimed that some workers were still owed one or two months’ payments, while others had not received the allowance at all.
It further alleged that payments were irregular for some beneficiaries, with workers sometimes waiting one or two months and repeatedly demanding their entitlements.
The congress also claimed that more than 80 per cent of states and workers in the informal sector had not benefited from any form of wage award.
“How do we go back to the same wage award that never benefited all workers? How can workers be expected to trust fresh promises when previous obligations remain outstanding?” it asked.
The TUC said a permanent salary increase would provide more reliable relief than temporary allowances, which it argued had failed to reach workers consistently.
It called on federal, state and local governments to introduce measurable interventions to reduce the cost of essential goods and services, ensure timely payment of salaries and pensions, protect jobs and curb exploitative labour practices.
The congress also urged the authorities to revitalise the productive sector to create decent employment, warning that the cost-of-living crisis affected workers across the public and private sectors, pensioners and people in the informal economy.
TUC demands implementation of JOHESU agreement
The congress separately accused the Federal Government of failing to implement an agreement reached with JOHESU following months of industrial action by health workers.
It said the negotiations, which involved organised labour and government representatives, culminated in a conciliation meeting at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the signing of a communiqué.
The government delegation was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, alongside the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, and the then Minister of Finance, Wale Edun.
According to the TUC, JOHESU suspended its industrial action in good faith after the agreement was signed, but the government had yet to fulfil its commitments on the CONHESS adjustment.
“While the workers have kept their side of the bargain, the government hasn’t kept its side of the agreement,” the congress said.
It described the delay as a breach of good faith, warning that failure to honour agreements could undermine trust in collective bargaining between organised labour and the government.
The TUC demanded the immediate implementation of the CONHESS adjustment, a clear timetable for implementation, the provision of necessary budgetary allocations and the resolution of outstanding issues in consultation with the unions.
“The TUC demands tangible action, not further assurances,” it said, pledging to support affected unions and pursue lawful measures to compel the government to honour the agreement.
The congress said it was awaiting the outcome of its scheduled meeting with the Federal Government before deciding on its next course of action. It did not announce an immediate nationwide strike.
President Bola Tinubu signed the new national minimum wage law in July 2024, raising the statutory minimum monthly wage from N30,000 to N70,000 after negotiations between the government and organised labour.
The agreement followed months of disagreements over workers’ pay amid rising living costs following the removal of the petrol subsidy and other economic reforms.
The N70,000 minimum wage established a new statutory wage floor but did not automatically resolve demands for adjustments across salary grades or address the broader erosion of workers’ purchasing power.
The TUC’s latest demands reflect renewed pressure on the government to move beyond temporary relief measures and deliver lasting improvements in workers’ earnings.
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