The Federal Government has invited the organised labour leaders to a meeting in Abuja, the country’s political capital on the strike action over a new minimum wage for workers.
The strike action paralysed economic activities in Nigeria on Monday .The meeting, which is presently ongoing at the time of writing this report has the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero; and his counterpart in the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, in attendance.
On the government’s side is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris Malagi; Labour Minister Nkiruka Onyejeocha; among others.
The industrial action embarked upon on Monday by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress,TUC, paralyzed business activities at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Federal Secretariat Abuja and the shut down of National Grid.
Passengers and workers were locked out at the airport by union officials whose protest kept thousands of passengers stranded out side the airport entrance.
Labour officials shut down government offices, courts and banks in Abuja in their attempts to enforce the strike.
Officials and members of different affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Monday morning shut down the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation including other public sector offices in Abuja city centre to enforce the nationwide strike.
Our correspondent who visited the busy Head of Service complex which has some ministries, reports that at around 9:00am, unionists mounting the main entrance of the Phase 2 were preventing workers from accessing the office.
One of the enforcers team leader, who is also the Joint Union President of the Head of Service Unit of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Comrade Ahmed Sylvester Abba told journalists that the level of compliance with the strike was encouraging.
The union leader also insisted that the federal government must pay the workers living wages that reflect the current rising cost of living.
He said, “You can go around the gates and see that all the gates are locked, and all of us are together in this. What we are demanding is simple, with one voice. Give us a living wage.
“All Nigerians are united on this fight, It is not a fight for labour unions alone. It is a fight for you people, even the oppressed people.
“That the voices of Nigeria for once is united to fight this cause and we believe that we have a responsive government that will look into the plight of Nigerians and make sure this indefinite strike is being cut short.
“We are trusting God that before the end of today or before the end of tomorrow, we will have a proper result and a living wage that will applaud and compliment every effort of the present government”, he added.
Also, the federal secretariat, Ministry of Finance where all shut down, while banks along the Ralph Shodiende Street, Central Business District were not operating as the labour team blocked entrances to their office.
Construction workers in hundreds were also stranded as the labour’s enforcement team prevented them from accessing a site near Pascal Bafy’au House, the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC ).
The strike action affected power supply adversely as the National Grid was shut down as early as 6am on Monday and this abruptly threw the country into darkness except for some areas and establishments that operates on solar or generators.
Also in Abuja, the nation’s capital, members of the Organised Labour successfully shutdown the gates of the National Assembly complex and that of the FCTA, just as the Federal Secretariat was deserted as the Union leaders ensured strict compliance by its members.
Already, the impact of the total blackout as a result of the disconnection of electricity and water supply in Abuja is being seriously felt by residents.
The industrial action came after a series of unsuccessful negotiations involving both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and federal government representatives at the tripartite committee meetings on the new minimum wage.
Negotiations broke down on Friday last week after the government earlier in the week offered a marginal increase of N3,000 to the N57,000 offer it had earlier made to come up with a N60,000 minimum wage proposal, a figure deemed unsatisfactory by Labour representatives who are demanding N494,000 as minimum wage, which they consider adequate to reflect the current rising cost of living.
Concerned over the compliance level of the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Organised Labour that paralysed and grounded most institutions and organisations, the Federal Government on Monday, June 3, 2024, called for a meeting with the National leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
The government said the emergency meeting Will enable the Tripartite Committee through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), meet on Tuesday, with a view to arriving at an amicable resolution.
The Organised Labour led by the NLC and TUC indefinite nationwide strike over the failure of the Federal Government to agree on a new minimum wage and the reversal of the geometric increase in electricity tariff that has further shrink the production capacity of Industries and purchasing power of workers nationwide thereby diminished the living standard of Nigerians.
Some of the affiliate union bodies that joined the strike included, ASUU, Nurses Union, Parliamentary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUAC, Aviation workers, Teachers, Electricity workers among others.