THE Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has criticized the notice of industrial action issued by Organised Labour on June 3, 2024.
In a letter dated June 1, 2024, the AGF described the strike notice by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as premature, ineffective, and unlawful.
The letter was directed to NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC President Festus Osifo.
The labour unions had raised concerns about the inadequacy of the current minimum wage of ₦30,000, stating that it no longer meets the needs of the average Nigerian worker.
They highlighted that not all governors are adhering to the current wage award, which expired in April 2024, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
After setting a May 31 deadline for a new minimum wage, Labour announced a nationwide strike starting from June 3, 2024.
Despite rejecting three offers from the government during failed negotiations, with the latest being ₦60,000, both the TUC and the NLC withdrew from the discussions, insisting on ₦497,000 as the new minimum wage.
However, the AGF has urged Labour to return to the negotiating table, maintaining that dialogue was a more progressive option than strike action.
Fagbemi called the disgruntled unions’ attention to Sections 41(1) and 42(1) of the Trade Disputes Act 2004 (as amended), which obliged the NLC and TUC to issue at least 15-day strike notifications.
The AGF also recalled an interim injunction order issued by an Abuja court on June 5, 2023, which barred the NLC and TUC from taking any strike action. “This order has neither been stayed or set-aside, therefore it remains binding on the Labour unions,” he stated.
“Consequent on the foregoing, the call to industrial action is premature, ineffectual and illegal. The proposed strike action is also at variance with the order of the National Industrial Court and the ongoing mediatory settlement efforts over the issues connected with the subject matter of the order.”
