Members of the organised labour, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), have decided to suspend their strike for five days, an NLC leader told our correspondent in Abuja.
The unions are expected to release an official statement before beginning negotiations with the government.The strike, which began on Monday, was initiated to protest the Federal Government’s failure to approve a new minimum wage by May 31 and its refusal to reverse the recent hike in electricity tariffs.
After a six-hour meeting with organised labour leaders in Abuja on Monday night, the Federal Government reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to increasing the minimum wage offer above N60,000.
The agreement stated, “The President of Nigeria, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is committed to establishing a National Minimum Wage higher than N60,000; and the Tripartite Committee will convene daily for the next week to finalise an agreeable National Minimum Wage.”
Organised labour also agreed to “immediately hold meetings of its organs to consider this new offer, and no worker would face victimisation as a consequence of participating in the industrial action.”
These resolutions were signed on behalf of the Federal Government by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.