The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has demanded a sustainable salary increase for workers, saying the Federal Government paid only an average of three months out of the 10 months agreed under the 2023 wage award arrangement. The Congress said another wage award would not adequately address workers’ economic……
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has demanded a sustainable salary increase for workers, saying the Federal Government paid only an average of three months out of the 10 months agreed under the 2023 wage award arrangement.
The Congress said another wage award would not adequately address workers’ economic challenges, insisting that a salary increase would provide a more lasting improvement in their purchasing power and living standards.
The TUC made the position known in a communiqué issued by its National Administrative Council (NAC) after an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
The communiqué signed by the TUC Secretary-General, Comrade General N. A. Toro, also disclosed that the wage award was agreed on October 2, 2023, as a palliative measure expected to run until the new minimum wage was signed into law on July 29, 2024.
However, it accused the Federal Government of failing to fully implement the agreement, leaving workers with only an average of three months’ payment out of the 10 months promised.
The communiqué reads in part: “The NAC reiterated that Congress is demanding a salary increase and not another wage award, particularly in view of the Federal Government’s failure to fully implement the wage award palliative agreed upon on 2nd October 2023, which was intended to run until the new minimum wage was signed into law on 29th July 2024.
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“Under the agreement, workers received an average of only three months out of the ten months agreed upon.”
The TUC maintained that the minimum wage should not be treated as the limit of workers’ earnings, stressing that “the minimum wage is a statutory floor and not a ceiling on workers’ earnings.”
It also reaffirmed its recognition as a trade union centre with the mandate to represent and negotiate on behalf of its members, citing International Labour Organisation Conventions 87 and 98, which guarantee freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.
The Council further acknowledged the positions of some public-sector affiliates, including the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRAI), the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC).
It said 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.
On its engagement with the government, the TUC said it would pursue discussions aimed at implementing resolutions reached at its NAC meeting of October 8, 2026, in Abuja, as well as addressing challenges confronting federal and state government employees.
The Council also urged its leaders to concentrate on securing a salary increase through engagement with relevant stakeholders rather than engaging in public exchanges over the issue.
“The NAC resolved that its leaders should refocus their efforts on securing a salary increase for workers by engaging relevant stakeholders and refraining from public exchanges on the matter,” the communiqué stated.
Reaffirming its commitment to workers’ welfare and collective leadership, the TUC said it would remain focused on delivering tangible benefits to its members.
“The NAC reiterates that Congress believes in purposeful, result-oriented leadership that delivers tangible benefits to workers rather than distractions, endless discussions or unsustainable interventions,” it added.
