We will not go ahead with strike for now – NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called off the planned strike action for Tuesday, pending President Bola Tinubu’s decision on the proposed new national minimum wage.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made this announcement on Monday at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. He stated that the strike cannot proceed as the proposals from the Tripartite Committee on minimum wage are currently under President Tinubu’s review.
According to the Guardian, the committee has submitted two figures for consideration: N62,000 proposed by the government and employers, and N250,000 proposed by labour. Ajaero emphasized that labour’s proposal of N250,000 does not mean they have accepted the N62,000 figure.
Ajaero remarked, “The tripartite committee has presented its figures to the President. We are awaiting his decision, and our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the final figure once it is announced. We cannot declare a strike now as the decision rests with the President.”
He recalled that during the previous administration, the proposed figure of N27,000 was raised to N30,000 by the President, expressing hope that the current President will also act in favour of workers. Ajaero noted the significant gap between the proposed N62,000 and N250,000.
The NLC president criticized state governors, particularly those within the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, for rejecting the N62,000 minimum wage proposal. He challenged the governors’ stance, highlighting disparities in state contributions to the national revenue and calling for a decentralization of governors’ salaries before decentralizing minimum wages.
Ajaero praised Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki for setting a positive example by paying a N70,000 minimum wage, urging other governors to follow suit instead of resisting wage increases.
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