The leadership of the the labour centres Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC) on Friday vowed to proceed with the planned nationwide strike, as from Tuesday 6th November, 2018, despite the ruling of National Industrial Court (NIC) which restrained the organised labour from proceeding on a nationwide strike.
The strike was to press home the demand for immediate implementation of the N30,000 new national minimum wage.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, who disclosed this in a chat with Labour Correspondents in Abuja, denied knowledge of the ruling.
“We are not aware of any court ruling and we have not been served any notice.
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“We have just concluded our joint organ meetings of the Central Working Committees of the Labour Centres of the NLC, Trade Union Congress and the United Labour Congress here in Lagos.
“The meeting is the final preparation for a full engagement with the government on the new national minimum wage and we have taken our decision to go on the strike.
“Our decision is to go ahead with the nationwide strike unless the government does the needful,” he said.
On his part, Musa Lawal, TUC General Secretary, who also denied knowledge of the NIC suit, maintained that the Congress was “not aware because we have not been served any court order; we have taken our decision and we are going to stand by that.”
The Nigerian Governors Forum had in a communique after its meeting announced that state governors can only pay N22,500, as the new national minimum wage.
Speaking at the press briefing held in Abuja and Lagos on Thursday, Wabba and Joe Ajaero, ULC President had threatened to revert back to the N66,500 initially proposed as the new minimum wage by the labour centres, since government has renege to honour the agreement reached at the November 5 Tripartite negotiation.
Wabba also ruled out the possibility of having another round of negotiation with government, noting that over 50% of the Tripartite Negotiation Committee had signed the agreement.
