The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has defended the N70,000 transportation allowance agreement reached between the Federal Government and organised labour, insisting that the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC)’s rejection of the deal will not affect its implementation.

The council said the agreement, signed on October 27, 2026, was reached after 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, Mr Gbenga Olowoyo, and addressed to presidents and general secretaries of affiliated unions, as well as state chairmen and secretaries of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Councils across the country.

Olowoyo explained that the N70,000 allowance would be paid monthly to public servants for six months, beginning from November 2026, to cushion the effects of rising transportation costs on workers and their dependants.

He urged state and local governments to adopt the agreement and provide complementary support for workers, noting the substantial revenue accruing to sub-national governments.

The council also disclosed that the negotiations addressed longstanding demands in the health sector, particularly the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which health workers have reportedly been seeking for the past 13 years.