31st May, 2024
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Friday announced nationwide strike beginning from Monday, June 3rd, 2024 over failure of the tripartite committee to agree on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
Festus Osifo, the he President announced the strike at a joint news conference with the leadership of the NLC in Abuja on Friday.
He said the decision to embark on strike was in line with the earlier ultimatum to the Federal Government that all negotiations for a new minimum wage must be concluded before the end of May.
Osifo: “In light of this persistent inaction, we, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), hereby issue a notice of commencement of an indefinite nationwide strike to the Federal Government,” Osifo said.
“We reiterate that since the National Minimum Wage negotiation exercise has not been concluded and the agreed wage passed into law; the hike in electricity tariff has not been reversed and the categorization of consumers into Bands has not stopped as demanded; Nigerian workers are compelled by these failures to embark on an indefinite nationwide industrial action beginning on Monday, the 3rd of June, 2024 to press home our demands.”
During the Tripartite Committee on the Minimum Wage negotiation meeting on Tuesday, the Federal Government had offered Labour N60,000 as the new minimum wage for workers.
But Organised Labour rejected the offer and instead demanded N494, 000 as the new national minimum wage for workers in the country.
However, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has appealed to the organised labour to be considerate and patriotic in their demands in the ongoing negotiation for a new national minimum wage.
Onyejeocha made the appeal in a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja.
The minister said that the federal government had been consistent in taking steps to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigeria workers.
She therefore, urged labour to recognise that the nation’s economy was still on the path of recovery from the effect of the pandemic and other economic distress.
“We appeal to organised labour and indeed, other relevant stakeholders to be considerate and patriotic in their demands, recognizing that our economy is still recovering from the devastating effects of the pandemic and other global economic shocks.
“We are committed to putting the people first and ensuring that our economic policies benefit all Nigerians, not just a select few.
“The government remain dedicated to prioritizing the well-being of our citizens and its want to urge all relevant parties to demonstrate patriotism and understanding.
“This is particularly during this critical period when the President, Bola Tinubu, is working diligently to revitalize the economy,”she said.
The minister therefore said the government recognised that the economic challenges faced by Nigerians were complex and multifaceted, and called for collective effort of all stakeholders to overcome them.
She added that the meeting with organised labour was a significant step in our ongoing efforts to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers.
“As a government, we recognise the importance of ensuring that our citizens receive a decent standard of living, and we are committed to making this a reality.
“After hours of intense negotiations, labour leaders took a recess to consult with other key stakeholders and have pledged to return to the negotiating table for further discussion.
“We welcome this development and are optimistic that our continued engagement will yield a positive outcome.
“In light of the current economic conditions, we have made a concessionary move from N57,000 to N60,000,”she said.
She noted that the increase was a demonstration of government willingness to listen to the concerns of labour and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement.
According to her, we understand that the current economic landscape is challenging, and we are doing everything in our power to mitigate its effects on our citizens.
“This is the path that this government has chosen to pursue, and we will not deviate or stray from the course.
“President Tinubu has been tireless in his efforts to revitalise the economy and improve the standard of living for all Nigerians.
“His commitment to creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and reducing poverty is genuine, and we appeal to all to support him in this endeavour.
“As we move forward, we will continue to engage with organised labour and other stakeholders to ensure that our economic policies are inclusive and beneficial to all,”she added.