The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have announced plans for a nationwide strike starting Monday, June 3rd, 2024. This comes after the collapse of negotiations between labour unions and the Federal Government over a new minimum wage.
The decision was announced at a joint press conference in Abuja by TUC President Festus Osifo, alongside NLC leadership. It follows the expiration of an ultimatum issued to the government, demanding the conclusion of minimum wage talks by the end of May.
Organized labour had previously walked out of the negotiations and rejected two separate offers from the Federal Government, the most recent being a proposed minimum wage of N60,000.
The tripartite committee tasked with overseeing the minimum wage negotiations failed to reach an agreement, prompting the labour unions to call for the nationwide strike action.
This impasse threatens to paralyze economic activities across Nigeria, as workers in both the public and private sectors are expected to down tools in support of the unions’ demands for a higher minimum wage.
The standoff highlights the continued struggle between the Nigerian government and labour unions over the appropriate level of minimum wage necessary to provide a decent standard of living for workers and their families.