Osifo Accuses NLC of Overstepping Authority, Insists TUC Must Be Part of Workers’ Negotiations

President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, has challenged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over its handling of negotiations with the Federal Government, insisting that no labour organisation has the authority to negotiate on behalf of another without proper consultation.

Osifo made the position on Monday while appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, amid the growing disagreement between the two major labour centres over the Federal Government’s approval of a N70,000 monthly transportation allowance for workers.

The TUC president described the agreement reached between the NLC and the Federal Government as unacceptable, arguing that the TUC was excluded from discussions despite representing a significant number of Nigerian workers.

He maintained that the two labour organisations must participate in negotiations affecting their respective members, adding that the NLC's larger membership should not be interpreted as permission to make decisions on behalf of the TUC.

Osifo also challenged NLC President, Joe Ajaero, to provide evidence from International Labour Organisation (ILO) regulations supporting his position that the NLC could negotiate independently for both labour centres.

According to him, international labour principles require cooperation between the two organisations, particularly when presenting workers' interests through the tripartite framework involving labour, government and employers.

He further questioned the legitimacy of the meeting that produced the N70,000 allowance, arguing that it was not a properly constituted meeting of the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council (JNC).

Osifo explained that the council has established membership and quorum requirements, insisting that the meeting attended by representatives of the government and some labour groups did not satisfy those conditions.

He also criticised the manner in which the difference between the previous N30,000 minimum wage and the current N70,000 minimum wage was reportedly applied to workers' earnings.

The TUC leader argued that the Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council should have properly examined the implications of the wage adjustment and implemented the necessary consequential salary reviews rather than adopting what he described as an inadequate approach.

He said he had personally raised concerns with Ajaero over the handling of the matter, maintaining that the interests of workers should take precedence over disagreements between labour organisations.

Osifo's comments have further intensified the disagreement between the NLC and TUC over who has the authority to represent workers in negotiations with the Federal Government.

The controversy follows the Federal Government's approval of a N70,000 transportation allowance for public servants for six months, beginning in November 2026, an arrangement the TUC has criticised as insufficient and unsustainable.