A few hours to the commencement of a nationwide strike, the leadership of the National Assembly and organised Labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have entered into an emergency meeting to avert the proposed strike.
The meeting which is holding in the National Assembly complex is being presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, with the Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas in attendance, as well as principal officers, Chairmen of various Committees from both Chambers.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume led the Ministers for the meeting while, the NLC President, Joe Ajeoro and TUC President Festus Asifo led members of the organised Labour.
Akpabio who noted that it would be difficult to negotiate a new take-home pay for workers in Nigeria while on strike, noted that his role as a conciliator does not in any way mean they as lawmakers were taking the job of the Executive or that of Labour.
However, organised labour at press time, maintained its stand saying it was fighting for a living wage for workers.
Meanwhile, various unions from across the different sectors are currently mobilising their members to down tools as of 12 midnight,.3rd June 2024.
Some of the unions who have sent memos to their members to join in the strike include; the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANP).
Others are the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, Iron and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, and Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
Also, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in compliance with directives from their umbrella bodies of TUC and NLC respectively, directed their members to fully withdraw their services, following a breakdown in the national minimum wage negotiations between government and labour.
The letter signed by the General Secretary PENGASSAN, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa partly reads, “…As the government is nor desirous in offering an acceptable minimum wage that could address the current economic challenges plaguing the country’s workforce.
“We expect total compliance as anything to the contrary will be viewed as sabotage of the struggle which will attract the necessary sanctions.”