The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has dismissed the rejection of the N70,000 monthly transportation allowance by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), insisting that the development will not affect implementation of the agreement reached between the Federal Government and organised labour.
The council said the agreement, which takes effect from November 2026, provides for the payment of the N70,000 allowance to public servants for six months to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs.
It also disclosed other components of the agreement, including implementation of the 40 per cent peculiar allowance, payment of 19 months’ arrears of health workers’ allowances and plans for salary adjustments in the health sector. 
The position of the JNPSNC was contained in a circular signed by its National Secretary, Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo, and addressed to national presidents and general secretaries of affiliated unions, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Councils across the country.
According to the council, the agreement was reached and signed on October 27, 2026, after more than six hours of negotiations involving the Federal Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), JNPSNC and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
The council said the transportation allowance was designed to ease the burden of rising transport costs on public servants and their dependants.
It urged state and local governments to adopt the arrangement and complement the Federal Government’s intervention, particularly given the increase in revenue accruing to sub-national governments.
The council said the government had assured labour representatives that the latest agreement would be implemented and would not suffer the setbacks associated with previous agreements.
On the TUC’s rejection of the allowance, the JNPSNC said the Congress was not part of the negotiations that produced the agreement.
While acknowledging TUC’s right to express its position, the council challenged the Congress to negotiate a higher allowance if it believed workers deserved more than the N70,000 already agreed upon.
“It will be highly commended that the Trade Union Congress can get a higher amount above N70,000 already agreed to by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) and Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), which will be an added benefit to Public Servants,” the council said.
The JNPSNC also rejected claims that the NLC represents only junior workers, noting that its affiliated unions have members across ministries, departments and agencies, including officials at directorate level.
“It is equally expedient to disabuse the notion that Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is a Union of junior workers,” the council said, adding that senior public servants were also dues-paying members of trade unions affiliated with the NLC.
The council maintained that the agreement was the product of extensive negotiations and due diligence, and should not be undermined by disagreements among labour organisations.
It commended the Federal Government, NLC, JOHESU and other stakeholders for reaching the agreement, stressing that workers’ welfare should remain the priority.
“Consequently, rejection of any of the items by any Trade Union is inconsequential to the implementation of the agreement, especially the payment of N70,000, among others,” the council said.
Established in 1948, the JNPSNC serves as a negotiating platform between the government and public service trade unions on wages, minimum wage implementation, workers’ welfare and industrial disputes.
