How minimum wage, 70,000 naira transport allowance and oda resolutions by govment go benefit Nigerians

Workers for Nigeria go benefit from one 70,000 naira transport intervention allowance wey di Nigeria govment approve.

Di Federal Ministry of Labour make dis announcement afta one reconciliation meeting dem get wit di leadership of di Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for Abuja on Tuesday, 27 October.

Di transport intervention na for all workers across all levels and e go last for six months and e go start for November, di ministry tok for one statement di Head of Press and Public Relations Annah Daniel issue afta di meeting.

Under di intervention wey di govment tag as "Reduction in Petroleum Pump Price and Palliatives", dem also approve di payment of peculiar allowance plus payment of di 19-month allowance arrears to health workers.

Di approvals na one of di resolutions di Nigeria govment plus di NLC reach afta renewed pressure from organised labour ova workers welfare, di rising cost of living and outstanding agreements.

Wetin to know about di interventions and who go benefit

Transport intervention: Nigeria govment approve transport intervention of 70,000 naira ($52.03) across all levels for a period of six (6) months, and e go start from November 2026. Dis one mean say e go start for November 2026 and end for April 2027.

Although, di federal govment no make am clear if di intervention na for federal or state workers, but di Nigeria Labour Congress for statement afta di meeting tok say na for 'Nigerian workers' across all levels and na to reduce di effect of di economic challenges wey di workforce dey face.

National Minimum Wage: Plenti back and forth don dey on di minimum wage since di administration of President Bola Tinubu approve di new minimum wage of 70,000 naira for workers for 2024.

Organised labours don dey call for renegotiation for di face of di high cost of living many Nigerians dey face.

Howeva, for di meeting, di federal ministry of labour and di NLC don agree to set up di Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee and dem go commence meeting immediately. But disagreement dey on di effective date of implementation.

Peculiar allowance: Di federal govment also approve di payment of peculiar allowance wey go take effect from 1 May 2026. "Payment arrears go start for November 2026, and dem go pay am in three equal monthly installments," di statement tok.

Outstanding health allowance: Di statement also tok about outstanding allowances for health workers.

Govment give assurance say 'dem go redeem di 19 months allowance arrears for health workers within three (3) months wit effect from December 2026.'

Hazard allowance for Agricultural workers: According to di statement, di Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security don submit di list of beneficiaries and cost implications give di National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) for verification. "E dey expected say dem go complete verification within two weeks, and NSIWC go issue di template for implementation.

CONHESS adjustment: Di NSIWC don also promise to complete di update of di cost implication within three (3) weeks to enable di Presidential Committee on Salaries make decision on di CONHESS adjustment.

Tax relief for workers: Tax relief measures for workers na one of di demands of di organised labours. Govment tok say dem go take di issue go di National Executive Council (NEC) as tax na statutory mata.

Di meeting bin follow one earlier conciliation session wey hold on 22 October and e dey come afta discussions on issues wey di NLC Central Working Committee and National Executive Council raise on di welfare of workers for di kontri.

Di govment and di labour representatives don agree to reconvene afta one month to assess di level of implementation of di resolutions.

Dem also call on state and local govments to follow for di intervention process and dem ask unions to push for implementation for dia respective levels.

TUC no agree wit di 70,000 naira transportation money

Meanwhile di Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) dey tell President Bola Tinubu to increase salaries and implement di Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) agreement instead of di N70,000 six-month transportation allowance wey Nigeria govment approve for workers.

According to loacal media di trade union leader say di award wey Nigeria govment and organised labour bin agree on di 2nd of October 2023, TUC some states no implement am until di minimum wage wey dem bin agreed for 2024 but dem neva fully implement am too.

Di union say govment still dey owe some workers one or two months, while some oda workers neva receive di award at all.

"How we wan go back to di same wage award wey neva benefit all workers? How dem go expect workers to trust fresh promises wen dem no fulfill di former ones?

"Irregularity for payment of di wage award of 2023 and even di pipo wey bin even get up to four months' wage award of N40,000 no get am evri month but wit one- or two-months' interval and several push."

E note say na ova 80% of di states and informal sector neva implement any form of wage award.

"From di foregoing we further emphasize our demand for pay raise for all govment workers as salary na di only consistent and far-reaching pay wey workers fit rely upon.

"Dis na our position during di consultative interaction and na still our position today; as we strongly beliv say di long sacrifices of Nigerian workers no suppose dey sacrificed for di altar of an ill-conceived temporary measure."

Di TUC argue say negotiations of new national minimum wage must not become excuse for postponing urgent pay increment.