The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have threatened to resume a nationwide strike if the federal government and National Assembly do not meet their demand for a ₦250,000 minimum wage by Tuesday.
In an appearance on Channels Television, NLC Assistant General Secretary Chris Onyeka stated that the labour unions have given the government a one-week notice, which expires tomorrow, to respond to their wage request. Onyeka said the NLC and TUC will convene to decide on next steps if no tangible response is received.
“It was clear what we said. We said we are relaxing a nationwide indefinite strike. It’s like putting a pause on it. So, if you put a pause on something and that organs that govern us as trade unions decide that we should remove that pause, it means that we go back to what was in existence before,” Onyeka said.
The labour leaders dismissed the government’s proposed minimum wages of ₦62,000 and ₦100,000 as “starvation wages” that they will not accept. They maintained that their demand for a ₦250,000 minimum wage is based on the realities of the Nigerian marketplace and the cost of living.
“We have never contemplated ₦100,000 let alone of ₦62,000. We are still at ₦250,000, that is where we are, and that is what we considered enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation,” Onyeka stated.
The potential resumption of the nationwide strike could have significant economic and social implications for the country if the government and lawmakers fail to reach an agreement with the labour unions by Tuesday’s deadline.