According to the report from the Punch, The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has criticized the organized labor for commencing a nationwide strike beginning today (Monday).
In a letter dated June 1, 2024, addressed to the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, Fagbemi maintained that the strike over the new minimum wage was in violation of a subsisting National Industrial Court order restraining the unions from disrupting the nation through a strike action.
As a meeting convened by the National Assembly leaders on Sunday night failed to achieve its intended outcomes, given the NLC and TUC’s insistence on proceeding with the strike scheduled for today. “I wish to note that this latest declaration of strike action by organized labour is premature at a time when the Federal Government and other stakeholders involved in the tripartite committee on the determination of a new national minimum wage had not declared an end to negotiation,” Fagbemi noted.
The meeting, chaired by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, was attended by NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC President Festus Osifo.
Furthermore, Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, reiterated the government’s stance that it could not offer more than N60,000 as the new minimum wage, which she stated was a 100 percent increase from the current minimum wage.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, expressed doubts about the labor leaders’ intentions, emphasizing that the proposed minimum wage offer was unattainable for both federal and state governments.
NLC President Joe Ajaero announced the strike after unsuccessful negotiations and the government’s decision not to reverse the power sector subsidy withdrawal and the electricity tariff hike.
Despite the government raising its minimum wage offer from N57,000 to N60,000 and the labor unions reducing their demand to N494,000, negotiations hit a standstill as the government stuck to its N60,000 offer, leading to the indefinite strike declaration.
In his letter to the NLC President, Ajaero, and TUC President, Festus Usifo, the AGF strongly condemned the planned industrial action, stating that it was inappropriate for organized labor to call for a strike while efforts were ongoing to determine a new national minimum wage.……..See More