Nigeria In Suspense Over Strike As NASS Intervention Fails To Stop Labour

Despite a four-hour meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on Sunday evening, the Organised Labour has reaffirmed its resolve to embark on a nationwide industrial action starting Monday, June 3, 2024.

The meeting, which was convened to avert the impending strike, ended in a deadlock, with the labour unions insisting that their demands for a new minimum wage and reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike must be met.

Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), met with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, among others, but the talks yielded no breakthrough. Osifo stated that the labour unions will take the National Assembly’s plea to call off the strike to their various organs, but emphasized that the strike will commence as scheduled on Monday morning.

The labour unions have been demanding a review of the current minimum wage of ₦30,000, which they say can no longer cater to the wellbeing of an average Nigerian worker. They also lamented that not all governors are paying the current wage award, which expired in April 2024, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The Act is due for review every five years to meet contemporary economic demands of workers.

The National Assembly had appealed to the labour unions to shelve the strike, citing its potential severe repercussions on the populace and economy. However, the labour unions remain resolute in their demands, setting the stage for a nationwide industrial action that could have far-reaching consequences.
Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG