Strike: FG Reaches Truce with Labour, to Pay over N60,000 as Minimum Wage
By Nafisat Bello
The Federal Government and organised labour have reached some resolutions including payment of salary above N60,000 over the strike action by workers.
Following the downing of tools by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) over a lack of consensus on a new minimum wage and a hike in electricity tariff, government and labour representatives met on Monday night.
After the meeting which lasted for hours, the parties reached some resolutions according to a statement by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkiruka Onyeojeocha, and her Information and National Orientation counterpart Mohammed Idris.
The resolution read: “The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is 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.
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“Labour in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment in (ii) above undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment; and that no worker would be victimized as a result of the industrial action.”
Labour unions downed tools on Monday, grounding activities in several critical sectors in a move to register their grievances.
Schools, airports, businesses, and others were shut following the industrial action yet to be called off. The national grid was also shut down, throwing the nation into darkness.
In various parts of the country, labour leaders rallied around to ensure compliance with the industrial action, forcing some workers to join the strike.
Before the strike, there were negotiations between the Federal Government and the labour unions. However, the meetings yielded no results as both parties failed to reach a consensus on a new minimum wage.
During the failed talks with the government, labour rejected three government offers, the latest being N60,000. The TUC and the NLC subsequently pulled out of negotiations, insisting on ₦494,000 as the new minimum wage.
