The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have rejected the N500 billion palliative proposed by President Bola Tinubu.

Both unions are demanding a 300 percent salary increase to enable workers cope with the challenges imposed by the worsening economic situation occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.

Recall that President Tinubu wrote to the House of Representatives seeking approval for N500 billion to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter read during plenary by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

In his letter, the President proposed an amendment to the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act.

The letter reads: “I write to the House of Reps to approve the amendment of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act in accordance with the attached.

“The request has become necessarily important to, among other things, the source for funds necessary to provide palliatives to mitigate the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on Nigerians.

“Thus, the sum of N500bn only has been extracted from the 2022 Supplementary Act of N819,536,937,815 for the provision of palliative to cushion the effect of petrol subsidy removal.”

The president said he hoped the lawmakers would consider his request “expeditiously.”

The House is expected to hold a plenary on the president’s request on Thursday.