Nationwide Strike Begins as Labour Demands New Minimum Wage
Nationwide Strike Begins as Labour Demands New Minimum Wage
By AmforGod J. Olisa
Despite appeals from the federal government for restraint, organized labor has commenced a nationwide strike today, pressing for a new national minimum wage for workers.
The strike follows a series of unsuccessful negotiations between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), and federal government representatives during tripartite committee meetings on the new minimum wage.
Talks broke down last Friday after the government proposed a marginal increase of N3,000, raising its offer from N57,000 to N60,000. Labor representatives rejected the proposal, deeming it insufficient.
The labor unions are demanding a minimum wage of N494,000, arguing that it is necessary to address the current high cost of living. The NLC and TUC aim to use the strike to compel the government to meet their demands.
Various labor affiliates have mobilized for today’s strike, including the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), the National Union of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), the National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), and the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN).
Other mobilized unions include the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
As the strike unfolds, the labor unions are determined to secure a more substantial minimum wage offer from the government, reflecting the rising economic pressures faced by workers nationwide.
