By Moses Akwashiki, Abuja
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has said that it rejected another wage award because it would not adequately address the worsening economic challenges facing workers.
The Congress said a salary increase would provide a more meaningful and lasting intervention to improve workers’ purchasing power and living standards, stressing that the national minimum wage represents a statutory minimum and not a ceiling on workers’ earnings.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the TUC National Administrative Council (NAC), held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
The meeting, which deliberated on workers’ welfare, collective bargaining, salary adjustments and the Congress’s engagement with government, reaffirmed TUC’s commitment to defending workers’ interests through collective leadership and constructive engagement.
According to the communiqué signed by the Secretary General, Comrade General N. A. Toro, Ph.D, the NAC maintained that the Federal Government failed to fully implement the wage award palliative agreed upon on October 2, 2023.
It recalled that the agreement was intended to run until the new national minimum wage was signed into law on July 29, 2024, but workers received an average of only three months out of the 10 months agreed upon.
The Council consequently reaffirmed the Congress’s position, earlier communicated in its October 21, 2026 press release, that a sustainable salary increase, rather than another wage award, remained its preferred option.
On the controversy surrounding the positions of some public-sector affiliates, the NAC acknowledged the concerns raised by the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRAI), the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC).
It stated that the positions of the three affiliates were consistent with the earlier position of Congress, emphasising that workers’ welfare could not be advanced by disregarding the collective bargaining rights of affected unions or undermining their legitimate representation in matters concerning their conditions of service.
The NAC also reaffirmed TUC’s status as a recognised trade union centre with the legitimate mandate to represent, defend and negotiate on behalf of its members.
It cited International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98, which guarantee freedom of association and the right to organise and engage in collective bargaining.
The Council resolved to pursue constructive and result-oriented engagement with the Federal Government towards implementing the resolutions reached at its October 8, 2026 meeting in Abuja, as well as addressing the challenges confronting federal and state government employees.
On internal leadership and accountability, the NAC reaffirmed its responsibility to the National Executive Council (NEC), describing it as the highest decision-making organ of Congress between Delegates’ Conferences.
It maintained that its decisions and actions had consistently been guided by the TUC Constitution and NEC directives and resolutions.
The Council further urged its leaders to redirect their efforts towards securing a salary increase for workers through engagement with relevant stakeholders, rather than engaging in public exchanges over the matter.
Reaffirming its commitment to workers’ welfare, the NAC said the Congress would prioritise purposeful leadership capable of delivering tangible benefits to Nigerian workers, rather than distractions, endless discussions or unsustainable interventions.
ENDS
