News

JUST IN: See when FG and Labour will Meet Over Strike and Minimum Wage

Published by Tope Fakinlede on June 3rd, 2024.

JUST IN: See when FG and Labour will Meet Over Strike and Minimum Wage

FG and Labour to Meet Tomorrow Over Strike and Minimum Wage

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Federal Government, via the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), has called for a meeting of the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage for tomorrow, June 4.

The previous meeting of this committee on May 31 ended abruptly when the Organised Labour’s negotiating team walked out, dissatisfied with the government and organised private sector’s (OPS) refusal to exceed their N60,000 offer.

Sources indicate that tomorrow’s meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m.

Government sources reveal concerns over the high level of compliance and participation by workers on the first day of the indefinite nationwide strike.

Compliance

In response to the strike order, unions have shut down the country’s electricity industry. Dominic Igwebike, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), confirmed to Vanguard that the power sector has been halted.

Additionally, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has stopped all loading activities at fuel depots in Lagos. However, all loaded trucks, including those at aviation terminals, have been allowed to leave for safety reasons. A labour leader stated, “We don’t want to keep a loaded truck within the depot because it is highly flammable.”

Similarly, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has ceased port operations nationwide. An MWUN official informed Vanguard that all port formations in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri, Onne, Calabar, and others have been closed. They will remain shut until further notice from the national leadership of organised labour.

This pattern of compliance is also evident in other sectors across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).