National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Funmi Ojo
The Organised Labour in Nigeria, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has decided to suspend their ongoing indefinite strike for one week.
This decision follows discussions with the Federal Government regarding a new national minimum wage and the recent increase in electricity tariffs.
The joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the NLC and TUC agreed to temporarily halt the industrial action, effective immediately.
This decision stems from a tentative agreement reached between the government and Organised Labour on Monday night.
Both parties resolved to continue daily engagement at the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage for the next week until a final agreement is reached.
During the meeting, the Federal Government assured Labour leaders of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to implementing a new monthly minimum wage exceeding the initial offer of N60,000.
This assurance came after a marathon negotiation session convened by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Earlier on Monday, members of the NLC and TUC had commenced an indefinite nationwide strike to push for a higher national minimum wage and the reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike.
The strike disrupted activities across the public and private sectors nationwide.
In a statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting, representatives from both the government and Organised Labour outlined four resolutions to address the ongoing dispute:
Commitment to a National Minimum Wage higher than N60,000; Daily meetings of the Tripartite Committee for the next week to finalise the agreement; Labour’s commitment to convene its organs immediately to consider the government’s commitment and an Assurance that no worker would face victimisation due to the industrial action.
With these resolutions in place, there is hope for a swift resolution to the ongoing labour dispute in Nigeria.
The temporary suspension of the strike provides a window for both parties to negotiate and finalise an agreement that addresses the demands of the workers while ensuring economic stability.
As the negotiations continue, the government and Organised Labour are expected to work diligently to reach a conclusive and mutually beneficial agreement.
The public and private sectors, which have been significantly affected by the strike, await the outcome of these crucial discussions with optimism.
