New Minimum Wage: Organised Labour May Begin Nationwide Strike Monday

There are strong signs that the Organised Labour may go on strike across the country on Monday, June 3, in protest of the proposed minimum wage.

This is as the tripartite committee on a new national minimum wage, NNMW, gets back together today after being abruptly adjourned last Tuesday due to labour’s departure from the meeting, during which it accused government negotiators of being unprofessional in their approach to the negotiations.

Meanwhile, accusing fingers are pointing to the state governors of ganging up against the Federal Government to stall the ongoing negotiation.

The Federal Government raised its offer slightly to N60,000 from the N57,000 it made on Wednesday, May 22, and Labour’s negotiation team left the committee meeting for the second time in two weeks on Tuesday.

Labour, represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, had on May 15, walked out of the tripartite committee meeting after the government offered N48,000 and Organised Private Sector, OPS, offered N54,000, against its N615,000 demand.

Organised labour sources, nonetheless, said that a nationwide strike might start on Monday, depending on the outcome of today’s meeting.

According to the sources, organised labour is already mobilizing for a strike from Monday, June 3.

A labour leader, who spoke anonymously, said: “The outcome of tomorrow’s (today) will determine our next line of action. If the meeting comes out fruitful, better for everyone.

“But should government’s team continue with its carefree attitude and disdain for workers’ welfare, nothing will stop us from going on strike from Monday. We are already mobilizing for the strike.

“Everyone knows that the one-month ultimatum we gave to the government to conclude negotiations on the new national minimum wage ends tomorrow (today). We have been patient amid the hardship and mass suffering inflicted on us by the government’s anti-poor policies.

“Besides that, the issue of the minimum wage is statutory. The old Minimum Wage Act ceased to exist since April 18. We had more than six months, at least, to work on a new minimum wage.

“But the government has not been serious with issues affecting workers. Well, Nigerians can bear us witness that we have been patient with this government. If the government knows what is good for it, let its negotiators come up with something reasonable to meet workers’ expectations, otherwise, strike will be inevitable from Monday.”