Last-Ditch Effort: Akpabio, Abbas, Govs in Emergency Meeting to Prevent Strike

The leadership of the National Assembly, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, convened an emergency meeting on Sunday night in Abuja with leaders of Organised Labour. The labour leaders present were Joe Ajaero of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Festus Osifo of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Also in attendance were Diket Plang and Adegboyega Adefarati, the chairs of the Senate and House Committees on Labour, Employment, and Productivity, respectively.

The urgent meeting aimed to persuade Organised Labour to postpone their planned nationwide strike set for Monday, June 3, 2024. The strike is in protest of the proposed increase in the minimum wage and electricity rates. The National Assembly’s goal was to “avert the impending industrial action” to prevent potential negative impacts on the public and the economy.

The outcome of the meeting will determine whether the strike proceeds or if a last-minute compromise is reached.

The failure of the Federal Government and the unions to agree on a new national minimum wage and reverse the recent increase in electricity rates prompted Organised Labour’s decision. The unions argue that the current minimum wage of N30,000 is inadequate for the average Nigerian worker’s well-being, and they have criticized some governors for not paying the current wage, which expired in April 2024, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Act requires a review every five years to ensure it meets contemporary economic conditions.

Organised Labour gave the federal government until May 31 to establish a new minimum wage. The inability of the government committee to reach a consensus on this issue and to reverse the electricity tariff hike led the workers’ union to announce on May 31 that a nationwide strike would begin on Monday, June 3, 2024.