The Organised Labour which comprises the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has defied all the
earlier pleas by the Federal Government (FG) for consideration and commenced an indefinite nationwide strike over the government’s failure to meet its minimum wage demand.
The industrial action which commenced today after an earlier announcement by the worker’s body at the weekend, is aimed at compelling the government to meet its N494,000 demand after its initial N615,000 demand.
The industrial action is against the backdrop of a series of stalemated negotiations between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and federal government representatives at the tripartite committee meetings.
D’Gallery gathered that negotiations failed on Friday last week after the government had earlier in the week, offered a marginal increase of N3,000 to the N57,000 offer it had earlier made and came up with a N60,000 minimum wage proposal.
But the offer was rejected by the Labour representatives.
D’Gallery also gathered that several members of the Labour union, including National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), National Union of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), the National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), and Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) have concluded mobilisation for the strike.
Other affiliates include the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Although the National Assembly took some steps to mediate and avert the strike, both parties failed to reach an agreement at a meeting on Sunday.
AGF reacts:
The Attorney General of the Federation ( AGF) and the Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) in a statement on Sunday, described the industrial action as “premature, ineffectual and illegal.”
He noted that an order by the National Industrial Court which barred the two labour unions from embarking on any form of strike, is still extant and had not been set aside.
He, therefore, urged the unions to reconsider the strike option and return to the negotiation table.
The AGF stated that the agitation for an increase in the minimum wage of workers in the country was currently being addressed.
In a letter addressed to the two labour unions, the AGF noted that the federal government and other stakeholders involved in the Tripartite Committee on the determination of a new national minimum wage had not declared the end of the negotiation.
Banks, Oil industry, Insurance, Aviation, Maritime, Varsity, and government media workers have also joined the strike.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has vowed to comply with Labour’s directive to shut down economic activities at the seaports nationwide.
Also, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has directed its members to join the strike.
