BREAKING: Labour Suspends Indefinite Strike Over Minimum Wage

The Organised Labour has suspended its ongoing indefinite strike action for one week over a new national minimum wage and reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike.

A joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of both Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has approved to relax the industrial action for one week with immediate effect.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the development followed a tentative agreement reached between the Federal Government and the Organised Labour on the new national minimum wage on Monday night with a resolution to further engage daily for the next one week at the level of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage until a final agreement is reached.

The Federal Government had assured the Labour leaders that President Bola Tinubu was committed to paying a new monthly minimum wage above the initial offer of N60,000.

This was disclosed late Monday night at the end of a marathon meeting convened by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, in furtherance to the negotiation by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (NMW) and subsequent withdrawal of the Organised Labour from the negotiation table.

LEADERSHIP reports that members of the NLC and TUC earlier on Monday embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demands for a new national minimum wage and reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike, a development that paralysed activities in both public and private sectors across the country.

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting endorsed by the Ministers of Information and that of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Idris and Nkiruka Onyejeocha, respectively, on the part of the Federal Government, and NLC and TUC Presidents, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, on the part of the Organised Labour, the meeting agreed on a four-point resolutions as a pathway to ending the ongoing industrial dispute.

“The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000;

“Arising from the above, the Tripartite Committee is to meet everyday for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable National Minimum Wage;

“Labour in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment in (ii) above undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment; and

“No worker would be victimised as a result of the industrial action,” the resolutions read.