Three public service unions have rejected the Federal Government's proposed ₦70,000 transport intervention for workers, describing it as inadequate amid rising living costs and backing the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in its demand for improved remuneration.
The unions also accused the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) of excluding them from consultations before issuing a statement on the controversial intervention, warning that the council could not speak for workers without their consent.
The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies, the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, and the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals made their position known in a joint statement issued on November 1.
The statement was signed by the presidents of the three unions, Kayode Alakija, John Alli and Dr Kamal Ibrahim.
They disowned a press release issued in the name of the JNPSNC on October 30, insisting that they were neither consulted nor invited to any meeting where the issues were discussed.
"The statement is therefore unauthorised and cannot be passed off as the collective position of public service trade unions. We did not participate in its preparation, endorse its contents or authorise anyone to speak on our behalf," they said.
The unions further alleged that the Vice-Chairman of the negotiating council, representing the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, was also excluded from the process.
They said the association, which they described as representing more than 300,000 public servants, was a major constituent member of the council and should have been involved in the deliberations.
The unions maintained that the ₦70,000 transport intervention could not replace decent wages, fair remuneration or a sustainable improvement in workers' living conditions.
They aligned themselves with the TUC's rejection of the intervention, arguing that workers deserved adequate compensation rather than temporary relief measures.
"Nigerian workers deserve justice, not token gestures. Their labour must be matched with dignified and adequate remuneration," the statement added.
The three organisations also faulted the implementation of the consequential adjustment following the previous minimum wage review, alleging that the negotiating council shortchanged workers through a flat ₦40,000 addition across salary levels.
They argued that the 133 per cent adjustment should have been applied to the lowest-paid workers and appropriately reflected across the salary structure to preserve existing salary differentials.
"Rather than applying the 133 per cent adjustment to the lowest-paid worker and cascading it appropriately across the salary structure, the JNPSNC negotiated a flat ₦40,000 addition across the board. This approach undermined salary differentials and disadvantaged workers," they said.
They called for transparency and a review of the adjustment, insisting that workers should not continue to suffer from what they described as inadequate collective bargaining outcomes.
The unions also warned the JNPSNC against acting as a third national labour centre alongside the TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress, saying its responsibilities should remain within its established public service negotiating mandate.
They insisted that the council must respect the independence of registered trade unions and the representative roles of the two recognised labour centres.
Among their demands were formal acknowledgement of their disassociation from the October 30 statement, an end to unauthorised declarations in the name of public service unions and recognition of their right to representation in relevant negotiating structures.
They also urged the Federal Government and relevant negotiating authorities to address the alleged exclusion and ensure that all unions were consulted before decisions affecting their members were taken.
The unions warned that labour unity could not be achieved through exclusion or the silencing of constituent organisations.
"You cannot speak for workers without their mandate. You cannot claim consensus without consultation," they said.
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