Organized Labour shun government, insists on Nov 6 planned strike

The leadership of the organised labour unions; the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Sunday shunned a meeting called by the Federal Government towards stopping the nationwide strike called by the workers’ unions. This is even as the NLC and TUC maintain that there is no going back to Nov. 6 planned nationwide industrial action.

The meeting was scheduled to hold at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

Indefinite strike action is planned to start on Tuesday due to government’s failure to meet the labour union’s demand for a new national minimum wage.

While the representatives of the labour unions failed to turn up for the meeting on Sunday, some government officials and members of the organised private sector still met behind closed doors.

Among those at the meeting included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and some permanent secretaries.

Speaking before the meeting went into closed doors, Mustapha hinted that the tripartite committee on national minimum wage set up by the Federal Government would be concluding works on its report on Monday.

According to him, the Federal Government was waiting for the report so that it could commence processes leading to the enactment of law on the new minimum wage.

He said that the report would still go through the National Economic Council and the Council of State before an Executive Bill would be sent to the National Assembly on the matter.

The only outstanding issues left for the committee, he said, was to harmonise the 15th chapter of the report, harmonise figures and submit report to the President.

He said, “I assure you that government is waiting for the report and will immediately set up processes required for implementation.

“Hopefully, their work would be concluded when they meet tomorrow (Monday) and append thier signatures to the report.

“They will then transmit to me and I will seek an audience with the President to present it to him.

“The report will go through NEC, Council of State before a draft executive bill will be sent to NASS.

“I am awaiting the report of the committee. They will meet tomorrow (Monday) at 11am.” he said

According to him, the ability to pay was critical in taking a decision on the minimum wage.

He pointed out that a lot of states are still finding it difficult to pay the current  minimum wage.

To this end, he said that the Federal Government gave out bailout for the purpose of helping the states to meet up.