The organised labour leadership is set to convene with its organs today to deliberate on the provisional N35,000 wage award approved by the federal government for all treasury-paid federal workers for a six-month period.
This was disclosed by Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, in an interview with State House correspondents following a four-hour discussion with a government delegation led by Femi Gbajabiamila, the President’s Chief of Staff.
Ajaero clarified that the organised labour could not independently suspend the indefinite strike planned for October 3 without consulting its organs. He stated that they had examined all the government’s promises and would assess their feasibility and practicality.
“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, Tommy Etim Okon, also addressed journalists, stating that the labour would meet with its organs today to review the meeting outcomes with the government delegation.
“Let me, on behalf of the TUC, also point out to the fact that we have had series of conversations surrounding the issue raised and we do hope that by tomorrow (today), we are going to get across to our organs so that we can also look at it and cross-fertilize ideas and see the way forward. I am sure we are coming back again tomorrow (today) for that,” he said
Following further consultations with the Federal Government delegation that met with the NLC and TUC leadership, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved a N35,000 provisional wage award for all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months. Earlier in his 63rd Independence Day Anniversary broadcast, President Tinubu had announced a N25,000 increment for low-grade federal workers.
During the meeting, labour unions advocated for a higher wage award. A sub-committee will be formed to work out the details of implementing all items for consideration regarding government interventions to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
The NLC and TUC had called for an indefinite strike starting on October 3 in protest against the alleged failure by the government to provide palliatives and implement policies to cushion the effect of petrol subsidy removal on citizens. Several workers’ unions nationwide declared their readiness to join the strike.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that at the meeting between both parties, the Federal Government pledged its commitment to expedite the provision of Compressed Natural Gas buses to alleviate public transportation difficulties associated with PMS removal.
