Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Joe Ajaero has criticised the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over its rejection of the ₦70,000 transport intervention approved by the Federal Government for workers at all levels for six months.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Ajaero alleged that the TUC backed out of the negotiation process that produced the intervention and therefore had no right to reject what it never advocated for. “The agreement was not signed by the Trade Union Congress; you don’t kick against something you did not negotiate or never asked for,” he said.

Ajaero said he would have preferred the TUC to negotiate for a higher intervention than the NLC was seeking, allowing the government to harmonise both requests. He alleged that the TUC president claimed the minimum wage would be due for negotiation in August 2027, a position the NLC rejected as inconsistent with the law.

“They threatened us and said they are not part of it,” Ajaero said, adding that the NLC stood alone on the ₦70,000 transport intervention and was surprised by the TUC’s stance on what was secured for workers.

Addressing the welfare of workers under the TUC, he said: “He left them and never came out to say they needed one or two naira, and now that we are done with this negotiation, he is still free to agitate for one million naira but not to reject what we have gotten.”

Ajaero maintained that the TUC had no power to reject the intervention secured by the sister union, arguing instead that it should push for a higher amount given increased suffering from rising energy prices.

He argued that securing an additional ₦70,000—which also equals the current national minimum wage—just months before minimum wage negotiations scheduled for April 2027 made the intervention a major landmark achievement. He noted the breakthrough came after years of pressure by labour, including the threat of strike action.