Strike : FG Begs NLC, TUC, Tells Them What To Do
With the clock ticking down to a nationwide strike over the new national minimum wage and increased electricity tariffs, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ordered state councils across Nigeria to ensure full participation.
On the eve of the strike, unions from key sectors such as oil, electricity, finance, and others expressed unwavering support for the indefinite strike called by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
Last Friday, both labour centres announced that the strike would commence on Monday due to the government’s failure to reach an agreement on a new minimum wage and to reverse the recent electricity tariff hike.
On Workers’ Day, NLC and TUC leaders gave the Federal Government a deadline of May 31 to conclude negotiations or face widespread industrial action.
Despite multiple meetings, the tripartite committee on a new National Minimum Wage has not reached a decision. Labour leaders have walked out of these meetings three times, rejecting the government’s and the Organised Private Sector’s (OPS) proposals.
The most recent walkout occurred on Friday, coinciding with the expiry of the old minimum wage of N30,000, which was signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari on April 18, 2019, and lapsed on April 18, 2024. On May 31, labour negotiators again walked out over the government’s refusal to offer more than N60,000.
Labour’s negotiating team had previously rejected an offer of N60,000 on May 28 and an earlier offer of N57,000 on May 22, demanding N615,000 instead.
NLC’s Directive to State Councils
In a circular from General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, the NLC instructed all state councils to mobilize their affiliates and members for the strike, which is set to begin at midnight on Sunday. The circular emphasized the need for a comprehensive closure of all workplaces and called for the formation of joint Action Committees with the TUC for effective coordination.
NLC President Joe Ajaero clarified that negotiations would not resume with mere offers but would require a mutual agreement. He emphasized the urgent need to resolve the issues to alleviate the pressure on both parties.
Sectoral Mobilization
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and other critical sector unions have informed their members to comply fully with the strike directive. NUPENG’s General Secretary Afolabi Olawale criticized the government’s insensitivity and urged members to ensure total compliance.
The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), through its leaders, also directed its members to participate fully in the strike to press for a new minimum wage and the reversal of the electricity tariff hike.
Electricity workers, represented by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), were similarly instructed to begin mobilization, with the union’s leaders calling for a reversal of the tariff hike and an end to the discriminatory categorization of electricity consumers.
Maritime workers, through their union’s President-General Prince Adewale Adeyanju, also committed to joining the strike, directing members in ports, jetties, terminals, and oil & gas platforms to ensure full compliance.
The impending strike underscores the critical tension between the government and labour unions over wage and economic policies, with the potential for significant nationwide disruption if the deadlock continues.
