Organised labour in the country began preparation for a nationwide strike over the Federal Government’s delay in the implementation of a new national minimum wage.
President, United Labour Congress (ULC), Joe Ajaero, disclosed this in a communique issued after its meeting on Monday in Lagos.
Labour unions including Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and ULC had on September 12 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to state an amount to enable the minimum wage committee conclude its sitting.
Labour had collectively demanded for N65,000 per month as the new National Minimum wage for all Nigerian workers.
Ajaero said that if government failed to meet their demand on the expiration of the ultimatum, it would collaborate with other labour centres and civil society organisations to embark on a nationwide strike.
”We shall no longer be obliged by this time to give any further notice to the government before embarking on the action.
”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 nationwide strike,” he said.
The labour leader said that a new national minimum wage was desirable and possible, adding that lack of patriotism, greed and corruption was the bane of a reasonable wage.
Meanwhile the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has empowered the National Administrative Council (NAC) and its leadership to carry out all necessary actions in conjunction with other stakeholders to ensure actualization of the minimum wage.
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