The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have declared an indefinite nationwide strike over the the refusal of the federal government to raise the proposed minimum wage above N60,000.
President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this at a press conference on Friday in Abuja Ajaero said the strike would begin by midnight on Sunday, June 2, 2024.
The NLC leader, who read from a jointly prepared speech alongside his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Festus Osifo, expressed “grave concern and disappointment” over the federal government’s failure to conclude and pass into law a new National Minimum Wage Act and reverse the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kWh.
Ajaero noted that the Friday meeting between the government and labour further demonstrated the unseriousness and apparent contempt with which the Nigerian state holds the demands of Nigerian workers and people.
He said, “No governor was present and ministers were absent except the Minister of State for Labour and Employment who doubles as a conciliator.
“There was none present on the side of the government with the appropriate authority to commit them to any outcome; in essence, the government abandoned the meeting. We consider this disdainful and shows a lack of commitment to a successful National Minimum Wage negotiation exercise”.
The NLC President noted that during the last May Day celebration on May 1, 2024, organised labour issued an ultimatum to the federal government, demanding the conclusion of the minimum wage negotiation by the end of the month.
“However, there has been no significant progress or commitment from the government towards meeting this demand.
“We also demanded a reversal of the last hike in electricity tariff to N225/kwh back to N65/kWh and stoppage of the apartheid categorization of consumers into Bands.
“We carried out a nationwide one-day protest on the 13th day of May 2024 giving the government until the last day of this month to take action but the government has not entirely shown any positive response despite the national outrage at this insensitive hike.
“Nigerian workers, who are the backbone of our nation’s economy, deserve fair and decent wages that reflect the current economic realities”.
He lamented that it was disheartening that despite the repeated calls and the clear ultimatum issued, the government continues to neglect its responsibility to the workforce.
Ajaero also said the government, rather than engage in a dialogue persistently raised its attack dogs to seek to denigrate and intimidate trade union leaders.
“It continued to remain our belief that the people ought to be the only reason for governance and nothing else. “The government must, therefore, seek the welfare of the people at all times and refusal to put the people first compels all patriots to take the right step in assisting the government govern well.
“The hike in electricity tariff impoverished further the already suffering people and denies them the right to decent living.
“Instead of taking remedial action or engaging in a meaningful dialogue, Nigerians were visited with a barrage of the usual propaganda,” he stated.
Ajaero said, “In light of this persistent inaction, we, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress hereby issue a notice of commencement of an indefinite nationwide strike to the federal government.”
