THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced that it will continue the nationwide strike that began yesterday, pending the outcome of a meeting with its organs scheduled for today.
“We are still on strike until we hear from our organs at our meeting scheduled for today, June 4th,” the labour union stated this morning in a post on its X handle.
The NLC’s statement came just hours after the Federal Government called a meeting with labour unions, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), to stop the strike action.
However, after extensive consideration and interaction, the NLC stated that the FG has agreed to a minimum wage higher than N60,000.
“Arising from the above, the tripartite committee is to meet every day for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable national minimum wage,” according to a statement released by the NLC.
The NLC then stated that it would hold a meeting with its organs today and that no workers would be victimized as a result of the strike.
The statement was signed by Joe Ajaero, President of the National Labour Congress (NLC), and Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress.
Most businesses, airlines, schools, banks, and other organisations, particularly public institutions, were closed yesterday as a result of the statewide labour strike.
Meanwhile, the development sparked a reaction from the leadership of the Labour Party (LP), which called on both the Federal Government and organised Labour to return to the negotiation table and reach an acceptable position for the sake of suffering Nigerians.
In a statement yesterday, the party’s spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, also stated that Nigeria has been plunged into darkness, hospitals have closed, and water pipes have been drained, causing Nigerians to face additional suffering.
It said that both the government and Labour needed to change their tactics and establish a meeting point in order to alleviate the suffering caused by the strike.
“It is our opinion that the Federal Government ought not to have allowed the strike to commence in the first instance. And whether a new minimum wage is due, the answer is yes, because the reality as of today is that the current minimum wage of N30.000 can not even take anybody home,” he said.
“It cannot stand the economic realities of the people today. This reality accords the importance of an upward review of the minimum wage.”
The party noted that the organised Labour and government need to shift their position in the spirit of negotiation “so that we can have something reasonable from both sides.
“The amount being tabled by the Federal Government can be upped but the organised Labour must also prune their demands.
“We want to urge both parties to come back to the drawing tables. We particularly appeal to the Federal Government, that they must play the role of the father figure by ensuring that Labour comes back to the table so that they can discuss and agree to avert the current suffering that the people are going through,” the statement added.
Labour argued that Nigeria’s current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is insufficient for the well-being of the average worker.
The current wage award expired in April 2024, five years after former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Minimum Wage Act of 2019. The Act should be reviewed every five years to ensure that it meets the current economic demands of workers.
However, Labour maintained that the administration must show concern and sincerity, and willingness to shift ground enough for the unions to trust them and return to the negotiating table.
