Unions Pause Strike Amid Minimum Wage Talks, Work Resumes Tomorrow

By Joke Kujenya

A FIVE-DAY pause in the ongoing strike, which was launched to demand a new minimum wage and oppose the recent hike in electricity tariffs has been announced, Tuesday, by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).  .

Francis Akinjorin, Deputy National Secretary of the Association of Air Transport Services of Nigeria (ATTSAN), clarified on Tuesday that this action is a temporary relaxation rather than a full suspension.

“We are giving the Federal Government a one-week grace period to test their sincerity,” he stated.

This development follows a joint extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held by the NLC and TUC to determine the next steps in their industrial action.

The strike, which began on June 2, 2024, has seen significant support from workers across various sectors.

During a six-hour meeting with union representatives in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu had expressed his commitment to increasing the national minimum wage, proposing a figure above the current N60,000.

The President assured that the Tripartite Committee would convene daily over the next week to finalize an acceptable new minimum wage.

This current decision, the labour unions said, to temporarily halt the strike aims to provide an opportunity for the government to demonstrate its commitment to addressing the unions’ demands.

It is the final outcome of the ongoing negotiations that will be critical in determining whether the strike will resume after the five-day period.

Labour Say Work Resumes Tomorrow

Arising from the joint NEC Meeting of NLC/TUC a few minutes ago, it was resolved as follows, that:

• Negotiation Beyond N60K: Agreement was reached to allow for engagement with the federal government for resolve beyond N60K, as opposed to its initial fixed position of N60K.
• Shortened Time-line: The time-line of two months initially tendered by the government has been shortened to one week by Organized Labour to allow for the speedy conclusion of the new minimum wage.
• Strike Action Relaxed: Both NECs in session unanimously agreed to relax the strike action to pave the way for continuous negotiation, introducing a new lexicon in the Labour Movement.
• Government’s Deadline: Failure on the part of the government to conclude negotiations with Labour within one week shall prompt the Organized Labour to resume the strike without further notice.
• Resumption of Work: The strike is relaxed until further notice from Organized Labour. Work resumes tomorrow.