Minimum wage: Massive strike looms as Labour rejects govt N60k, key unions pledge support

The Federal Government has urgently appealed to organised labour to reconsider its planned indefinite onslaught acceptable to commence connected Monday, June 3, 2024.

The Guardian reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared a nationwide onslaught implicit a projected caller minimum wage connected Friday aft a gathering betwixt the tripartite of Labour, Organised Private Sector (OPS) and the Federal Government erstwhile again failed to scope an statement connected a caller minimum wage and reversal of the caller hike successful energy tariffs.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, successful an interview, had appealed to Labour that concern enactment was not the solution to the ongoing dialog for a caller minimum wage for workers.

“The authorities is pleading with labour to reconsider its position. The FG has already made an connection of N60,000, and immoderate the authorities does is successful the involvement of Nigerians,” Mohammed said.

“We won’t similar to bash thing that volition propulsion the state into different problem. Even arsenic we bash that, we are pleading with labour. They are partners successful this task called ‘Nigeria’ and we expect them to articulation hands with the FG arsenic it strives to look for solutions that volition instrumentality Nigeria to the desired prosperity.”

Mohammed explained that the request to find communal crushed was the crushed for mounting up the tripartite committee successful the archetypal spot and pleaded that the unions should not let the advancement they had made truthful acold to beryllium eroded.

He added that helium was optimistic an statement could inactive beryllium reached with them.

He said, “Our connection is that of an entreaty and the request for labour to spot crushed with the government. That was adjacent the ground for mounting up the tripartite committee made up of organised labour, the sub-nationals, and the FG. This was due to the fact that the authorities conscionable didn’t privation to marque unilateral decisions.

“In immoderate case, the presumption connected the wage authorities is not a one-sided thing. We expect that they volition spot crushed with the government. That is wherefore we are calling connected them to amusement knowing by not embarking connected the onslaught due to the fact that we don’t privation that astatine this point. A onslaught is not the solution to our problem. We are continuing our negotiations with them. The curate and different stakeholders are inactive talking to them and we judge that we volition find communal ground.”

Despite these appeals, the enactment of the NLC and TUC has maintained their determination to proceed with the concern enactment arsenic of the clip of this report.

Blackout expected nationwide
Reacting to the organised labour planned strike, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has besides directed its members to comply with the directive, arsenic disclosed successful an authoritative missive signed by the union’s acting wide secretary, Dominic Igwebike.

Igwebike, successful the letter, called connected each executives to mobilise their members to comply with the directive, adding that withdrawal of services becomes effectual astatine midnight connected Sunday, June 2.

Maritime declares support
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has announced its readiness to guarantee full compliance with the directives of the organised labour union.

MWUN spokesperson John Kennedy Ikemefuna, successful a connection issued connected Saturday, June 1, 2024, said the maritime workers are acceptable to comply afloat with the NLC/TUC declared concern action.

“In presumption of the foregoing, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria has directed its members astatine each ports nationwide, jetties, terminals, and lipid and state platforms to efficaciously guarantee full compliance with the onslaught arsenic directed by the NLC and TUC,” Ikemefuna said.

“This is besides to service arsenic a announcement to each our acrophobic stakeholders successful the maritime sector,” the connection further read.

FG insensitive — NUPENG
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has besides directed its members to comply with the directive of the 2 labour centres to statesman an indefinite nationwide onslaught connected Monday.

NUPENG General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, said successful a connection that the national was committed to ensuring full compliance with the directive.

Afolabi said the national was acrophobic and disturbed with the insensitive cognition of the national authorities “to the precise captious contented of negotiating a caller minimum wage for Nigerian workers”.

“This is successful presumption of the assorted socio-economic policies of this medication that person impoverished the moving radical of this country. Leaders of our large national astatine each levels, from the units, zones, and branches, should instantly enactment each processes successful spot to guarantee full compliance with this directive.”