Organised Labour Calls Off Strike
A week-long industrial action has been halted by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) due to disagreements over a new minimum wage and an increase in energy tariffs.
This was verified in Abuja on Tuesday following a joint emergency national executive council meeting of the unions by Festus Osifo, the president of the TUC.
“A joint NEC meeting of TUC/NLC has approved to relax the industrial action for one week with immediate effect,” Osifo announced on Tuesday.
Later, the labour head indicated, a statement will be published.
Monday saw the downing of tools by both unions in protest of the power bill increase and the impasse over a new minimum wage.
With schools, companies, hospitals, and airports closing, the development ground operations in vital economic areas. The country was plunged into blackness when the national grid was likewise turned off.
Labour moved after the May 31 deadline for a new minimum wage agreement passed. They have been unable to reach an agreement with the federal government.
Labour turned down three government proposals during the fruitless negotiations, the most recent one being ₦60,000. Subsequently, the TUC and the NLC withdrew from talks, demanding ₦494,000 as the new minimum wage.
However, the Federal Government and the union leaders convened an hours-long discussion that continued into the night in an attempt to put an end to the strike.
Attending the meeting were George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Labour and Employment (State) and her counterpart for Information and National Orientation, Osifo of TUC, and Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC.
After the discussion, labour declared that NLC and TUC would convene to determine the next course of action, but they also came to several conclusions, such as the government’s commitment to pay more than ₦60,000 and a regular meeting between the parties.
“No worker would be victimised as a result of the industrial action,” they also decided.