- Labour Insists On Strike, Evades Meeting With Federal Government
In an effort to ensure the compliance of the Federal Government to its N30,000 minimum wage demand, the Nigerian organised labour, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has resort to a strike action; scheduled to commence on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
The organised labour, however, on Sunday, steered clear of the meeting organised by the Federal Government to arrive at a common ground with labour, as none of the labour leaders were in attendance at the meeting which took place in the office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.
Speaking on this, Peter Ozo-Eson, the General Secretary of the NLC remarked, “Negotiations have ended. Yes, we have a meeting of the tripartite committee on Monday and we will attend as long as it is to sign the report of what has been agreed. We will sign that so that it can be submitted to the government. We will not change our position”.
The Nigeria Labour Congress had earlier on the Labour Day celebration, requested an increase on the minimum wage to N65,000 from N18,000; both the NLC and the Federal Government were said to have resolved at a N30,000 minimum wage instead.
The Federal Government, however, subsequently declined on the earlier agreement by proposing a N24,000 minimum wage; which stirred up the labour union to a strike action.
The agitation heightened past week when the Nigeria Governors Forum further reappraised the minimum wage to N22,500.
As earlier reported by INVESTORS KING, the NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, said the proposed N30,000 by the organised labour was the amount agreed by the governors, employers and organised labour. Therefore, NLC will not accept the proposed N22,500 as the new national minimum wage.
The NLC President further stated the ‘No Work No Pay’ rule being used by the government to threaten the congress is wrong, as it is against the labour law and international best practices standard.
Also with NLC in the proposed strike are; TUC, PENGASSAN, JOHESU, ATSSSAN, ULC.