THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have declared a nationwide strike scheduled to commence on Monday, June 3rd, 2024.
This strike is in response to the failure of the tripartite committee to reach an agreement on a new minimum wage and the increase in electricity tariff.
The President of the TUC, Festus Osifo, announced the strike today during a joint press conference with the NLC leadership in Abuja.
The Labour leaders cited government’s delay in concluding negotiations for a new minimum wage and addressing the issues related to electricity tariff, hence the indefinite nationwide strike. The NLC and TUC expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s actions and emphasized the need for addressing these concerns through industrial action.
Despite previous offers from the government, including the latest proposal of N60,000 as the minimum wage which was rejected by the unions, the Labour organizations are firm in their demand for a minimum wage of N497,000.
The rising cost of living in Nigeria, since the removal of fuel subsidy and the country’s economic policies, has further spurred the calls for an increased minimum wage.
In response to the subsidy removal, Labour leaders have put forward a series of measures, including a new minimum wage and alternative transport options, to alleviate the impact on the citizens.
A committee comprising representatives from Labour unions, government officials, and the private sector was established to negotiate a new minimum wage but failed to reach a consensus, leading to the recent strike action by the unions.
As of now, the Federal Government has not issued a statement regarding the strike initiated by the TUC and NLC.
