The Federal Government has warned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to shelve their plan to commence a nationwide indefinite strike action declared for tomorrow (Monday).
On Friday, the Nigeria Labour Congress declared an indefinite nationwide strike, starting on Monday, June 3, 2024, due to the Federal Government’s refusal to increase the proposed minimum wage above N60,000.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in a letter date June 01, 2024 and addressed to NLC and TUC but released on Sunday, said that the proposed industrial action is “premature, ineffectual and illegal.”
Stating that the agitation for increase of the minimum wage for Nigerian workers is currently being addressed, Prince Fagbemi insisted that Organised Labour has failed to fulfill the condition precedents that would enable them to embark on a strike action.
The AGF, in the four-page, noted that FG and other stakeholders involved in the Tripartite Committee on a new national minimum wage, had not declared an end to negotiation.
The letter was copied to Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief of Staff to the President, Minister of Labour and Productivity, National Security adviser (NSA), Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Director-General of State Security Services.
The Minister argued that in view of the fact that the FG and State governments are not the only employers to be bound by a new national minimum wage, it was therefore “vital to balance the interest and capacity of all employers of labour in the country (inclusive of Organized Private Sector) in order to determine a minimum wage for the generality of the working population.”
Besides, the AGF noted that an order of the National Industrial Court (NIC) which barred the two labour unions from embarking on any form of strike action, is still extant as it has not been set aside.
He, therefore, urged the unions to reconsider their proposed strike action and return to the negotiation table.
