Former national leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have intervened in the escalating rift between the two labour centres over the Federal Government’s ₦70,000 transport allowance for public sector workers.

The high-level mediation followed a contentious public spat between NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Festus Osifo, regarding the transport intervention introduced by the Federal Government to cushion the impact of rising transit costs following petrol subsidy removal.

The dispute, which escalated into sharp personal exchanges on national television, had sparked widespread apprehension within the trade union movement, stoking fears over the fragmentation of organized labour and its ability to present a unified front in defending workers’ welfare.

Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, former NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, revealed that respected labour veterans from both federations held preliminary consultations with the two union leaders and secured an agreement to cease further public hostilities ahead of a comprehensive reconciliatory meeting.

Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the 52nd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Wabba framed the altercation as a domestic disagreement that must be ironed out internally through social dialogue.

He noted that the elder statesmen reminded the leadership of both centres of their shared ideological mandate, emphasizing that trade union cohesion must never be sacrificed on the altar of personal disagreements.

Wabba, who also served as President of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), said the peace initiative aims not only to defuse the Immediate friction but also to establish preventive mechanisms against future intra-labour disputes.

“It is a family misunderstanding between the two centres, and we have made it clear that workers’ organisations are supposed to be one because the objective is one and the aim is one,” Wabba said.

“So, that seeming misunderstanding has escalated, and we have said all hostilities should stop. We will actually try to meet with them to see what happened and how future occurrences can also be prevented.”

He Identified the elder trade unionists leading the peace initiative to include former TUC President Peter Esele; former TUC President Bobboi Kaigama; pioneer NLC President Hassan Sunmonu; former NLC President Abdulwaheed Omar; and himself.

Wabba noted that the veterans interfaced with the principal actors, reporting that both labour leaders agreed on the imperative of restoring fraternal harmony. He disclosed that the initial engagement, attended by the TUC General Secretary and the NLC President alongside other stakeholders, concluded on a conciliatory note.

“The TUC General Secretary was here; I was here; the NLC President was here. All of us embraced ourselves and said, ‘Well, it is a family issue,’” Wabba said.

He urged the media to avoid fanning the flames of discord, adding: “Members of the press should not actually try to advance issues that are not there because, even in your immediate family, you can have some internal issues. But that internal issue is certainly meant to be resolved, and we are working towards that very effectively because that is the hallmark of trade unionism: to resolve issues, even with our employers, through dialogue and social dialogue.”

Wabba explained that because some key figures in the dispute are currently out of station, a plenary peace parley will be convened immediately after their return.

“In the meantime, we said we don’t see the necessity of further talking to the press because that, in itself, does not bring any solution,” he added.

Earlier, NLC President Joe Ajaero insisted that the ₦70,000 transport cushion negotiated for workers will be factored into the overall baseline benefits when formal negotiations for a comprehensive national minimum wage begin. (Nigerian Tribune)