Strike Alert: NLC/TUC, ASUU May Resume Strike on Tuesday
The collective labour force, which includes the Nigerian Labour Strike (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), may initiate a strike due to the unresolved issue of the minimum wage. Chris Onyeka, the Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said the organised labour would convene to decide on the resumption of the nationwide industrial action if the Federal Government and National Assembly fail to act on workers’ demands by tomorrow.
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The collective labour force, which includes the Nigerian Labour Strike (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), may initiate a strike due to the unresolved issue of the minimum wage.
This comes after the labour force pledged to reject any minimum wage proposal of ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 for Nigerian workers by the federal government.
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In an interview, Chris Onyeka, the Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), referred to such a proposal as a “starvation wage”. Onyeka was adamant that the labour force would not accept the government’s latest offer of ₦62,000, stating that the current demand for a living wage for an average Nigerian worker stands at ₦250,000.
He stated, “Our position is very clear. We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know can take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage. We have never contemplated ₦100,000, let alone ₦62,000. We are still at ₦250,000, that is where we are, and that is what we considered enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation. We are not just driven by frivolities but the realities of the marketplace, realities of things we buy every day: a bag of rice, yam, garri, and all of that.”
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Onyeka mentioned that the one-week grace period given to the Federal Government to review its proposal last Tuesday, June 4, 2024, would expire by midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
He said the organised labour would convene to decide on the resumption of the nationwide industrial action if the Federal Government and National Assembly fail to act on workers’ demands by tomorrow.
“If that does not meet our demand, we have given the Federal Government a one-week notice to look at the issues and that one week expires tomorrow (Tuesday). If after tomorrow, we have not seen any tangible response from the government, the organs of the organised labour will meet to decide on what next.”
