Despite last minutes efforts by the Federal Government to avert a national industrial action by seeking to parley with leaders of the organized labour today, workers in the country have said that their plan to embark on strike effective Thursday remained irreversible.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, on Wednesday said that workers had been taken for a ride over the past one year by the government in view of its alleged insincerity in the handling the new minimum wage negotiations.
Wabba, who confirmed that the industrial action would start nationwide tomorrow, said that the directive by Organised Private Sector (OPS) urging its employees not to comply with the strike should be ignored.
The labour unions led by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) threatened to shut down all government offices, private companies, including petrol stations by midnight today.
Wabba explained that the warning strike was in compliance with the decision of the various organs of the organised labour which endorsed the 14-day ultimatum served on the Federal Government by the organised labour groups, who are members of the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage.
On whether the unions will be ready to suspend tomorrow’s industrial action if the government decided to parley with them, Ayuba said that the industrial action cannot be stopped unless leadership of the unions goes back to consult with their organs.
The President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achese, said the strike would go on despite the last minutes efforts by the Federal Government to meet with labour unions today.
Achese pointed out that the meeting would not produce any meaningful outcome, describing it as mere diversionary tactics.
