Despite n’assembly’s last-minute intervention, NLC, TUC insist on strike

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has insisted on going ahead with the nationwide strike planned for June 3.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, conveyed a last-minute meeting on Sunday to avert the proposed indefinite strike by organised labour over the minimum wage and electricity tariff hike.

Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, led other union leaders to the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, the labour bodies said they would meet and discuss the appeal made by the leadership of the national assembly to suspend the proposed strike and allow for more dialogue with their organs before taking a decision.

The TUC president, 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.

“Yes, we have had a conversation, we have had a meeting, and the issues were laid bare for the part of government and what issues are on the part of the organized labour,” he said.

“There was an appeal from the senate president for us to call off the industrial action tonight. But on our path, we said that we have heard him.

“It is not possible for us to sit here and call off any industrial action because there are conditions and precedents given to us by our NEC.

“We would have been much more happier if this evening we had a great understanding that by tomorrow morning we would sign off on issues bordering on the minimum wage.

“Because, as at the last meeting, we were very very close to signing off — I mean, close in the sense that if the figures were right, it’s just to prepare the report and sign, so it’s not something that is that lengthy anymore.

“But 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.”

On Friday, NLC and TUC declared an indefinite strike over the federal government’s refusal to increase the minimum wage from N60,000.

Recently, the federal and state governments, organised labour, and the private sector commenced discussion over the new minimum wage.

Initially, the labour unions had proposed N615,500 as the minimum wage, citing the high cost of living.

However, the federal government rejected the N615,500 proposal and offered N48,000.

On May 15, the NLC and TUC rejected the N48,000 minimum wage offered by the government.

On May 21, the federal government increased the proposed minimum wage to N54,000, which the labour again rejected and described as “unacceptable”.

Again, the federal government proposed N60,000, and it was rejected.

In a post shared on X after the meeting, the speaker thanked the leaders of the labour unions for agreeing to attend the sit-down.

“As part of our efforts to intervene between the Executive arm of the Federal Government and the organized labour, we, the leaders of the National Assembly, met with them today, especially in view of the planned nationwide industrial action by the latter,” Abbas wrote.

“We appealed to the organized labour to see reason with the government and shelve the planned industrial action.

“I also reiterated my stand that the government could eradicate corruption in public offices by paying the workers a ‘living wage.’

“But we must admit that the government cannot fix all the perennial issues concerning wages and salaries all at once. We thanked the organised labour for accepting to attended the meeting, to assure Nigerians and the government that hope that all is not lost.”

THE MEDIATION

Earlier on Sunday, the national assembly said it would mediate between the federal government and organised labour to avert the indefinite strike.

The federal lawmakers urged all stakeholders to seek a “mutually acceptable resolution” in the best interest of the country.

In a statement signed by Yemi Adaramodu and Akin Rotimi, spokespersons of senate and house of representatives, respectively, the national assembly said the federal government and organised labour have “tenable” positions on the issue of minimum wage.

“In view of this, the National Assembly Leadership and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Labour, Employment, and Productivity, respectively, Senator Diket Plang and Rep. Adegboyega Adefarati, are looking to engage both parties in constructive dialogue and explore a variety of solutions in addressing the issues at hand,” the statement reads.

“The 10th National Assembly is committed to ensuring that the interests of all parties are fairly represented.

“We further urge all stakeholders to remain patient and co-operative as we work diligently to find a mutually acceptable resolution in the best interest of the country.”