Leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), and United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC) have reportedly agreed to commence a nationwide strike on Thursday, September 27, 2018.
The planned nationwide action, according to reports, is to compel the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to increase workers minimum wage.
Nigerians have been urged to stockpile foodstuff and other necessities, with claim that a nationwide strike appeared now inevitable.
During an emergency meeting held in Lagos, leaders of ULC said it has harmonised its demand of the minimum wage of workers alongside NLC and TUC. The labour unions are now demanding N65,000 as the new minimum wage.
Prior to the harmonisation, while NLC and TUC demanded N56,500 minimum wage, NLC demanded N96,000.
ULC President, Joe Ajaero, said,
“By this communiqué, we order all our affiliates and state councils nation-wide to move to the final level of alert in their preparation for the proposed nation-wide strike.
“We urge Nigerian masses to stockpile food and other necessities, given the known intransigence and insensitivity this government has shown to our collective plight as a people.
“Furthermore, we wish to state that Nigerian workers will not only deny any government that denies us our living wages in the forthcoming general elections but also set up active machinery to mobilise against their elections.”
Similarly, TUC in a terse communiqué at the end of its Central Working Committee (CWC), said the National Administrative Council (NAC), and its leadership has been empowered to carry out all necessary actions in conjunction with other stakeholders to ensure the achievement of the minimum wage.
Recall that the Labour Unions had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to ensure completion of work on the implementation of the new national minimum wage or risk unprecedented industrial unrest in the country.
The labour unions gave this warning at the end of a joint briefing in Lagos. The union leader threatened that they could no longer guarantee industrial peace in the country at the expiration of the ultimatum.
