The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has resolved to go ahead with the nationwide strike to protest the non-implementation of the minimum wage on Monday.
The organized labour resolved to go ahead with the strike despite a last-minute attempt by the leadership of the National Assembly to stave off the industrial action.
In a last ditch attempt to persuade the labour to stop the strike, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, met with the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, along with other union leaders on Sunday night in Abuja.
However, the meeting ended in another deadlock as the labour unions said they would meet and discuss the appeal by the National Assembly to suspend the strike and allow for more dialogue with their organs before taking a decision.
Osifo, who briefed journalists on the outcome of the meeting, however, said there was an appeal by the Senate President to the unions to suspend the strike.
He said: “Yes, we have had a conversation, we have had a meeting, and the issues were laid bare for the part of government and what issues are on the part of the organized labour.
“There was an appeal from the Senate President for us to call off the industrial action tonight. But on our path, we said that we have heard him.
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“It is not possible for us to sit here and call off any industrial action because there are conditions and precedents given to us by our NEC.
“We would have been much more happier if this evening we had a great understanding that by tomorrow morning we would sign off on issues bordering on the minimum wage.
“Because, as at the last meeting, we were very very close to signing off — I mean, close in the sense that if the figures were right, it’s just to prepare the report and sign, so it’s not something that is that lengthy anymore.
“But we have listened to them; we would take all their pleas to our organs, and we would have an organ’s meeting, taking what they have promised and the pleas that they have made to our organs.
“For now, we don’t have the powers to call off the industrial action, so the industrial action will continue while we have a conversation with our respective organs as soon as possible to lay bare what they have put forward and what they have proposed.”
But shortly after the meeting, the NLC posted on its X handle that the strike would go on as planned.
“We don’t have the right to call off the industrial action approved by our Organs . Thus, The action will continue while we will have a meeting with our Organs to relate to them your proposals” the Congress said.
We don’t have the right to call off the industrial action approved by our Organs . Thus, The action will continue while we will have a meeting with our Organs to relate to them your proposals – Organized Labour tells the Leadership Of the National Assembly pic.twitter.com/SkZ8DVBxE8
— Nigeria Labour Congress HQ (@NLCHeadquarters) June 2, 2024
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