The organised labour is to meet on Monday to review the federal government provisional N35,000 wage approved for all treasury-paid federal workers for six months.
The outcome of Monday’s meeting will decide whether the nationwide strike the labour has declared would commence, according to the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero.
Ajaero told State House correspondents on Sunday after meeting with the FG delegation led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, that the labour could not withdraw the action without meeting with its organs.
“I don’t have much to say than what the Chief of Staff has said. We’ve been meeting and we’ve looked at almost all the issues, all the promissory notes from the government and we’ll look at how to translate them to reality and to be workable.
“Then, we’re going to take those promises to our organs. Of course, you know these people here cannot just wake up and review and call off action.
“So, like he (Gbajabiamila) said, we are hopeful that our organs will have a look at them and give us a fresh mandate on what next to do. So, it’s a simple one,” Ajaero said.
The acting president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Tommy Etim Okon, reaffirmed Ajaero’s remarks, saying the labour would meet its organs to decide on the outcomes of the meeting with the government delegation.
He added that the team from the organised labour would return for another meeting today.
Okon said issues have been raised which would be analysed to decide on the next line of action.
“I am sure we are coming back again tomorrow (today) for that,” Okon said.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had announced N35,000 allowance for all treasury-paid FG workers for six months.
He said this was after the meeting between the fg team and labour leaders on Sunday.
Earlier yesterday in his 63rd Independence Day Anniversary broadcast, President Tinubu approved the N25,000 rise for low-grade federal workers also for six months.
Idris said there would be a sub-committee to work out how to implement details of all the items for consideration regarding government interventions to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
The information minister said “Furthermore, the Federal Government announced that it will commence payment of N75,000 to 15 million households at N25,000 per month, for a three-month period from October-December 2023,” he stated.
Idris said the government urged the labour unions not to embark on strike as the issues in dispute could only be resolved when workers are at work.
The following unions across the country had declared their readiness to join the strike.
They include the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutes (SSAUTHRIA); the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, and the Medical & Health Workers Union of Nigeria.
The unions made their intentions known In different statements signed by their respective leaderships, just as they have asked their affiliates across the nation to engage maximum mobilization of all its members without delay and await an all-out compliance from the leaderships.
