By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Members of the organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday, 4 June, 2024, suspended their strike for five days.
The strike which commenced on Monday, 3 June, 2024 was called to protest the failure of the Federal Government to approve new minimum wage by May 31 as well as its failure to reverse the hike in electricity tariff.
The TUC Chairman, Festus Osifo who confirmed this on Tuesday, 4 June, 2024, said the latest development is meant to give room for uninterrupted meetings with the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage.
It was gathered that after a six-hour meeting with the leadership of organised labour in Abuja on Monday night, 3 June, 2024, the Federal Government expressed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to raising the N60,000 offered as the minimum wage.
At the end of the meeting on the night of Monday, 3 June, 2024, the Federal Government and organised labour reached an agreement on a new minimum wage that will be “above N60,000″.
The statement from the meeting read in part: “Further to the negotiation by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (NMW) and subsequent withdrawal of Labour from negotiation, the Leadership of the National Assembly intervened on 2nd June, 2024. The Organised Labour declared nationwide strike on Monday, 3rd June, 2024 to drive home its demands.
“The Federal Government, in the National interest, convened a meeting with Labour held in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, on Monday 3rd June, with a view to ending the strike action.
“After exhaustive deliberation and engagement by both parties, the following resolutions were reached:
“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 victimized as a result of the industrial action.”
