N70,000 transport allowance: ‘You don’t kick against what you didn’t ask for’ – NLC President, Ajaero tackles TUC

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, has tackled the Trade Union Congress, TUC, over its stance on the recently approved N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public workers by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

In an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Ajaero said the TUC had never negotiated for an intervention amid the rising cost of living in the country.

Ajaero explained that when the NLC was asking the government for an intervention, the TUC looked the other way.

According to Ajaero, the TUC cannot challenge the intervention for workers when it is obvious that the NLC had been working alone all along.

He said, “You don’t kick against something you did not ask for or negotiate for. And you have asked for anything all these years, suddenly something was given to NLC and you now say you are kicking against it. TUC never asked for intervention as a result of rising cost of living.

“Why is TUC challenging what was gotten for the workers when we stated clearly that NLC was acting alone?”

Recall that the TUC had rejected the N70,000 transport allowance for workers, demanding N300,000 instead.

Tinubu’s government had approved a N70,000 monthly transport allowance for public workers amid a fuel price hike and calls for a review of the minimum wage.