The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaero has described the minimum wage negotiation with the federal government and other tripartite committee members, as a “helpless situation”.
Ajaero’s assertion was revealed during a press briefing shortly after an earlier meeting with the federal government which ended in a deadlock in Abuja on Friday.
THE WHISTLER had earlier reported that NLC and its counterpart the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared an indefinite nationwide strike starting Monday, June 3, 2024.
The strike was to press home their demands for a new minimum wage, reversal of electricity hike, and the removal of electricity consumers from various bands announced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
However, Ajaero said “In the meeting today we told them we have to be here and allow them to go and get the mandate and come back to this meeting, we also told them we are ready to sleep here. But they said no, we should allow them that it is difficult to see Mr. President as they don’t have access to him.
“So, we found ourselves in a helpless situation, so, that is where we are now and everybody should be patient with us.”
When asked if the strike would be called off if the federal government calls for another negotiation with a new proposal, Ajaero responded, “The federal government can only call for a continuation of the negotiation, not by awards.
“You can’t say come we are giving you N10, N20. No, we have to sit down and negotiate, calling us doesn’t mean agreement. Until you sign an agreement to what is mutually agreeable by the parties involved, our action will not stop negotiations.
“Because the two parties are going to negotiate under duress now, that is the meaning of this strike, so the earlier they respond the better for all of us.
“I am not sure where you have the labour centres in a country and they are embarking on a strike for one month and you don’t listen to them.
“So, I think what you will be praying for, is for the people who are suffering so much and these are some of our people, that was why we were reluctant, and why we were virtually telling them that we needed to find a solution.”