NLC notifies stakeholders to prepare for strike
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked Nigerians to stock up on food as it would soon shut down the entire country over minimum wage impasse.
A communique issued at the end of its emergency meeting and signed by NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson, directed all affiliate unions, state councils, civil society allies, the informal sector and other friends of workers and lovers of democracy to commence immediate mobilisation of their members.
“This communique serves as formal notice to government that the NLC will commence an indefinite nationwide strike and industrial action from November 6, 2018; except government accepts and commences the process of perfecting the payment of N30,000 as the new national minimum wage on or before that date,” the NEC warned.
The NLC lambasted the government for its ‘no work, no pay’ policy, adding that what should have been implemented was ‘no pay, no work’.
The statement added, “The NEC advised Nigerians to start stocking up food and other necessities of life as workers will ensure a total shut down of the country.
“The NEC-in-session similarly condemned the government for its design/plan to clamp down on labour via selective and erroneous invocation of the ‘no work, no pay” clause in the Trade Disputes Act, noting that the right to strike is both a human and trade union right and cannot be abridged as it is what distinguishes a worker from a slave.”
The NLC maintained that the national minimum wage must be N30,000 even as it accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, of insincerity.
