The National Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have declared an indefinite strike, that started today.
The organized labour decided to embark on industrial action after the negotiations between them and the government over the minimum wage of workers came to an impasse.
The NLC and the TUC have been in negotiation with the federal government over a new minimum wage since the government policies such as the removal of fuel subsidy announced last year by President Bola Tinubu led to an increase in the cost of goods and services.
The organized labour claimed that a new minimum wage is long overdue, and due to the incessant soaring of the price of goods and services, the government should upwardly review the wages of workers.
Accordingly, NLC and TUC initially proposed a new wage of N615,000 to the federal government. However, after many negotiations and deliberations, the union settled for the sum of N495,000.
On its part, however, the government insisted on paying the sum of N60,000, adding that the proposed amount from the labour union is unsustainable.
Added to this, the organized private sector, which were also part of the tripartite committee set up by the government on minimum wage, said they accepted the sum proposed by the federal government.
Subsequently, NLC declared a nationwide strike on Friday, adding that the strike will begin on Monday (today) and will be indefinite.
Last-minute Meeting with NASS
Following the announcement from NLC and TUC, the National Assembly consisting of both the Senate and the House, met with the leadership of the union in a last-minute meeting to appeal against the proposed strike.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, told journalists in Abuja that efforts by the National Assembly leadership to convince the labour unions to suspend the strike had failed.
Also, the TUC president, Festus Usifo, who briefed journalists on the outcome of the meeting which lasted over four hours, said there was an appeal by the senate president to the unions to suspend the planned strike.
“We have listened to them; we would take all their pleas to our organs, and we would have an organ’s meeting, taking what they have promised and the pleas that they have made to our organs.
“For now, we don’t have the powers to call off the industrial action, so the industrial action will continue while we have a conversation with our respective organs as soon as possible to lay bare what they have put forward and what they have proposed,” Usifo said.