NLC and TUC have relaxed ongoing industrial action for 5days.
The Organised Labour has suspended the nationwide strike for five days to give room for uninterrupted meeting with the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage.
The relaxation of the industrial action was ratified at the just concluded joint virtual meeting between NLC and TUC in Abuja as monitored virtually.
This new development was disclosed by a top source among the labour union leaders under the condition of anonymity.
He also assured that no worker would face repercussions for participating in the strike and that the tripartite committee would convene daily for the next week to finalize the new minimum wage.
Following the scheduled 10 a.m. meeting with the FG Tripartite Committee today (Tuesday), Labour decided to suspend the strike. Consequently, all government and private offices are expected to reopen and operate as usual.
This development marks a critical step towards resolving the minimum wage issue, ensuring that the tripartite committee can work towards an agreeable National Minimum Wage without further disruptions
Labour said it had “relaxed” its strike for one week to enable fruitful negotiations with the Federal Government on minimum wage.
The NLC and TUC announced this in a communique on Tuesday, after a joint National Executive Council meeting.
The suspension of the strike followed a six-hour meeting between the leadership of organised labour and the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday night.
The Federal Government had expressed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to raising the N60,000 offered as the minimum wage.
The agreement stated, “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 finalise an agreeable National Minimum Wage.”
The organised labour also agreed to “immediately hold meetings of its organs to consider this new offer, and no worker would face victimisation as a consequence of participating in the industrial action.”
The resolutions were signed on behalf of the Federal Government by the information, Idris, and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
In its statement announcing the strike suspension, the unions said there was a greater need to create the right ambience for negotiation to continue unhindered.
“The indefinite nationwide strike action is, therefore, relaxed for one week from today (Tuesday) to allow the Federal Government to commit to a concrete and acceptable National Minimum Wage; take definitive steps to reverse the electricity tariff hike back to N66/kwh and abolish the discriminatory classification of electricity consumers into bands,” the unions said.
Labour also mandated its affiliate unions and state councils, to return to their respective workplaces immediately
On the issue of the electricity tariff, the unions said they were deeply disappointed by the government’s silence and lack of concrete action regarding the reversal of the electricity tariff hike and the abolition of the apartheid classification of electricity consumers into Bands.
“The NEC reaffirms that these issues are critical to alleviating the financial burden on Nigerian workers and the general populace. The electricity tariff hike and discriminatory Band classification remain unacceptable and must be addressed alongside the wage increase.”
In their position on the minimum wage, opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives called on the Federal Government to implement a new minimum wage of more than N100,000 to assuage organised labour.
