NEW NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE: Labour begins nationwide strike Thursday

Until the harmonisation, while NLC and TUC demanded N56,500 minimum wage, LC demanded N96, 000. ULC President, Joe Ajaero, said, yesterday, at a briefing:  ‘’By this communiqué we order all our affiliates and state councils nation-wide to move to the final level of alert in their preparation for the proposed nation-wide strike.

 

INDICATIONS emerged, yesterday, that organised labour will, Thursday, commence a nationwide strike to force the Federal Government to announce its figure and ensure the completion of work on the new national minimum wage.

Vanguard gathered last night that it was a decision reached by leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC; Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, after an emergency meeting in Lagos.

It was gathered that it will be formerly announced in Abuja tomorrow where the modalities would be unfolded

Earlier in the day, leaders of United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, urged Nigerians to stockpile foodstuff and other necessities, saying a nationwide strike appeared now inevitable.

At a briefing in Lagos after an emergency meeting of its Central Working Committee, CWC, leaders of ULC said NLC, TUC and ULC had harmonised their separate demand to N65,000 and had informed the government and private sector employers through the tripartite minimum wage negotiating committee.

Until the harmonisation, while NLC and TUC demanded N56,500 minimum wage, LC demanded N96, 000. ULC President, Joe Ajaero, said, yesterday, at a briefing:  ‘’By this communiqué we order all our affiliates and state councils nation-wide to move to the final level of alert in their preparation for the proposed nation-wide strike.

‘’We urge Nigerian masses to stockpile food and other necessities, given the known intransigence and insensitivity this government has shown to our collective plight as a people.

‘’Furthermore, we wish to state that Nigerian workers will not only deny any government that denies us our living wages in the forthcoming general elections but also set up active machinery to mobilise against their elections.” Similarly, TUC in a terse communiqué at the end of its CWC, yesterday, in Lagos, said:

“At the meeting of the Central Working Committee, CWC, of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, the CWC empowered the National Administrative Council, NAC, and its leadership to carry out all necessary actions in conjunction with other stakeholders to ensure the achievement of the minimum wage.”