By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Apparently jolted by the near total compliance of the nationwide strike called by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) over their demands for a living wage in the face of the biting economic hardship in Nigeria, the Federal Government has called for an emergency meeting of the Tripartite Committee on the new national minimum wage through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
Prompt News gathered that the proposed NLC, TUC and federal government emergency meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4 in Abuja to find a middle ground for the parties in dispute to agree on a reasonable wage for a Nigerian worker in both private and public service.
Recall the previous meeting of the Committee was abruptly stopped on May 31 when the organized labour negotiation team left, as the government and organized private sector refused to increase their offer of N60,000.
But the fresh call for the meeting of the Tripartite Committee is coming as the first day of the indefinite strike called by organized labour to protest the stalemate in the minimum wage negotiations with the Federal Government and electricity tariff hike, recorded huge success and crippled Nigeria.
Multiple reports from across the country suggests that the strike witnessed substantial compliance with organised labour mobilising its affiliates to comply fully with the directives from the headquarters just as workers under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and National Union of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) all downed tools.
Also the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), the National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), and Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) withdrew their services nationwide.
Other affiliates that withdren their services on Monday nationwide include the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Nigeria Union of Railway Workers, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Reports across the country also confirmed that civil servants both at the federal and state levels also joined the industrial action including the civil servants in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) as the labour leaders led the strike by locking the gates of the FCTA Secretariat in Garki.
For this reason the ever-busy Abuja-Kaduna train services joined the strike too as workers of the Abuja-Kaduna Train Services (AKTS) stayed away as the services did not operate on Monday, June 3, due to the ongoing strike action announced by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
As confirmed by the Chairman of Abuja Union of Abuja-Kaduna Train Services (AKTS), Comrade Yusuf Kazeem, no train moved from either Idu (Abuja) or Rigasa (Kaduna) on Monday.
According to Kazeem: “There is total compliance throughout the system as there is no train movement.
“Passengers were not stranded because we sent a message to inform them that there would be no train service.
“Also, most of our tickets are sold online and the portal was not opened for passengers to buy tickets which was an indication that we were not available for service. READ ALSO:
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“Some passengers called to complain about their inability to buy tickets and we used the opportunity to inform them that we would be embarking on strike, so passengers did not bother to come to the station.”
He added that workers of AKTS also boycotted work on Monday.
“Our staff too did not come to work because they are aware of the strike,” he said.