Despite pressure from the federal government, the organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC), yesterday insisted on commencing a nationwide strike to demand a quick implementation of a new minimum wage for workers in the country.
Confirming the strike action, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, told journalists at a press briefing yesterday that public offices, schools, banks and other places of work are expected to comply with the strike action, which is bound to shutdown the economy. According to Wabba, it became obvious that the government did not intend to keep its promise of implementing a new minimum wage for workers.
He pointed out that the industrial action became the last resort following federal government’s refusal to reconvene the meeting of the tripartite national minimum wage committee to enable it conclude its work.
“The Labour organs further mandated their leadership to take all necessary steps, including a warning strike in the first instance to compel the government to reconvene the meeting of the Committee in order to bring it to a logical conclusion. In compliance with this mandate, all workers in the public and private sectors at all levels across the country have been directed to comply”.
“All public and private institutions, offices, banks, schools, public and private business premises including filling stations are to remain shut till further notice.
“All those who mean well for this country are to see to the success of this action. Further more, this action is to remain in force until further directives are given”.
Meanwhile, the federal government yesterday said the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage will reconvene its meeting on October 4 to conclude its negotiation process.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige said this while addressing journalists after a closed meeting with the leadership of organised labour.
The minister earlier met with organised labour leaders who were also part of the Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage to update them on government decision.
“One of the ways that we going to show it is by implementing the new national minimum wage and this we need to fix a base for the lowest paid worker in Nigeria.
We are resuming next week, precisely on Thursday, October 4, and the meeting may spillover to October 5, as we normally use two days for the meeting. So, we are reconvening the meeting on the October 4, and all the process have being put in place”, he said.
