The council said the agreement, signed on October 27, 2026, followed more than six hours of intensive negotiations involving the Federal Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), JNPSNC and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
Its position was contained in a circular signed by its National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, and addressed to presidents and general secretaries of affiliated unions, as well as state chairmen and secretaries of Joint Public Service Negotiating Councils across the country.
The JNPSNC comprises several public service unions, including the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Nigeria Civil Service Union, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, and other workers’ organisations.
In the circular, Olowoyo explained that the N70,000 transportation allowance would be paid monthly to public servants for six months, beginning in November 2026, to cushion the impact of rising transportation costs on workers and their dependants.
He also urged state and local governments to adopt the agreement and complement the Federal Government’s intervention, citing the substantial revenue accruing to the sub-national governments.
The circular stated, “The meeting was not only tough but also took more than six hours before both the Federal Government and labour sides could enter into terms.
“On the issue of payment of N70,000 transportation allowance, which will be paid for the next six months to public servants, starting from the month of November 2026, it was meant to subsidise the unbearable transportation cost being experienced by Nigerian workers.”
The council said the agreement also provided for the implementation of the long-delayed 40 per cent peculiar allowance to reflect the N70,000 minimum wage.
According to the circular, the allowance should have commenced in July 2024, alongside the implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage.
It added that the allowance would also be implemented at state and local government levels from November 2026, while arrears dating back to May 1, 2026, would be paid to public servants in three instalments.
The council further disclosed that the Federal Government had agreed to establish a Tripartite Negotiation Committee comprising representatives of government, labour and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).
It said the committee was among the key demands raised by the JNPSNC under the leadership of Benjamin Anto Uyanto, which led to the three-day warning strike initially declared on October 2, 2026.
The negotiations also addressed longstanding demands in the health sector, including the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which health workers have reportedly been seeking for 13 years.
The circular said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) had been given three weeks to conclude its work and forward the outcome to the Presidential Committee on Salaries, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, for approval and implementation.
It also disclosed that the meeting approved the payment of 19 months’ arrears of health workers’ allowances in three instalments, beginning in December 2026.
On the hazard allowance for agricultural professionals in the public service, the council said the meeting resolved issues delaying the issuance of the implementation circular.
According to the agreement, the NSIWC is expected to issue a circular containing the payment template within three weeks.
The council further said a proposal for tax relief for public servants and private sector workers would be presented to the National Economic Council for consideration, as the issue involved both federal and state governments, alongside other stakeholders in economic management.
It added that the parties agreed to reconvene within one month to assess the implementation of the resolutions and ensure that none of them reneged on their commitments.
Expressing concern over the persistent trust deficit surrounding labour agreements in Nigeria, the JNPSNC noted that several previous agreements between government and trade unions had suffered implementation challenges.
On the controversy surrounding the TUC’s rejection of the N70,000 transportation allowance, the council maintained that the congress was not part of the negotiations that produced the agreement.
While acknowledging the TUC’s right to express its position, it challenged the congress to negotiate a higher allowance if it believed workers deserved more than the amount already agreed upon.
The council also rejected the perception that the NLC represented only junior workers, arguing that its affiliated unions had members across ministries, departments and agencies, including officers at directorate level.
It stated, “It is equally expedient to disabuse the notion that the NLC is a union of junior workers, whereas all the unions affiliated to Nigeria Labour Congress have members across all the ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, in the public service up to directorate level.
“Even some top-notch public servants are due-paying members of trade unions of their respective choices.”
Addressing the TUC’s position, the council said the congress was not involved at any stage of the negotiations with the Federal Government, although it acknowledged its right to comment on issues affecting workers.
“However, 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 circular added.
Established in 1948, the JNPSNC serves as a negotiating platform between government and public service trade unions on wages, minimum wage implementation, workers’ welfare and industrial disputes.
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