JUST IN: Akpabio, Abbas in Last-Minute Negotiations with Labour to Prevent Strike

The leadership of the National Assembly engaged in urgent discussions with Organised Labour in Abuja on Sunday evening in a bid to prevent a looming industrial action. The strike, set to begin on Monday, June 3, 2024, threatens to severely impact the populace and the economy.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas are leading the talks with Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero and Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo. The National Assembly expressed hopes that the meeting would avert the strike.

The planned strike stems from a stalemate in negotiations between the Federal Government and the unions regarding a new national minimum wage and the reversal of a recent electricity tariff hike. The unions have stated that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is insufficient for the average Nigerian worker, noting that many governors have failed to pay the existing wage, which expired in April 2024.

The Labour leaders had given the Federal Government a deadline of May 31 to agree on a new minimum wage. After the government committee failed to reach an agreement, Labour declared a nationwide strike starting June 3. The unions had rejected multiple offers from the government, including a recent offer of ₦60,000, and are demanding a new minimum wage of ₦497,000.

The Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Labour, Employment, and Productivity, Diket Plang and Adegboyega Adefarati, are also participating in the crucial talks.

As the deadline looms, the nation watches closely, hoping for a resolution that will prevent the strike and mitigate its potentially severe effects on the country’s economy and its people.