On Tuesday, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) decided to suspend their ongoing strike for a period of five days, according to a leader of the NLC in Abuja. The decision came ahead of scheduled negotiations with the government, and a formal statement from the labor unions is expected soon.
The strike, which began on Monday, was called to protest the government’s failure to approve a new minimum wage by the May 31 deadline, as well as its refusal to reverse the recent increase in electricity tariffs. However, after a six-hour meeting with the leadership of organized labour in Abuja on Monday night, the Federal Government expressed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to raising the proposed minimum wage of N60,000.
In an agreement reached during the meeting, it was stated that “The President of Nigeria, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is committed to establishing a National Minimum Wage higher than N60,000; and the Tripartite Committee will convene daily for the next week to finalize an agreeable National Minimum Wage.”
Furthermore, the organized labour has agreed to hold immediate meetings to consider the new offer, and it has been assured that no worker would face victimization for participating in the strike.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Federal Government by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
More details on the suspension of the strike and the outcome of the negotiations will be provided as they become available.
