The Kaduna State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has disagreed with Senator Adams Oshiomhole over the Federal Government’s plan to provide workers with N70,000 monthly transport support, insisting that the payment is insufficient to address the economic challenges facing Nigerian workers.
Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North and is a former NLC president, had praised the initiative during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, describing it as evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s concern for workers’ welfare.
“I think this government is doing well. If a man who was on N70,000 now is given N70,000 addition, that makes it N140,000 for him; it’s a hundred percent increase, and if you know what N10,000 means for the real masses, you’ll appreciate that Tinubu has shown that he cares,” Oshiomhole said.
However, the Kaduna NLC chairman, Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman, said the allowance was a positive step but would provide only temporary relief and could not eliminate the financial difficulties confronting workers.
Suleiman explained that workers were struggling to meet basic household expenses as the prices of food, transportation, rent, school fees, healthcare, electricity and cooking gas continued to rise.
He stated that the proposed support would bring a worker’s total monthly earnings to N170,000, comprising the N70,000 minimum wage, the N30,000 monthly wage award and the additional N70,000 transport allowance.
Despite the increase, he maintained that the amount remained inadequate to protect workers from the rising cost of living.
The labour leader argued that negotiations for a new minimum wage should begin at N500,000 to reflect the actual cost of meeting workers’ basic needs.
He also called on federal and state governments to introduce measures beyond salary adjustments to reduce the cost of living.
Suleiman specifically urged authorities to make public transportation more affordable and provide additional support capable of easing the financial pressure on workers.
