In a bid to call off the nationwide strike by organised labour, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) Folasade Yemi-Esan proposed the extension of the wage award. Sesan said the awards would be paid until a new minimum wage was decided and unanimously accepted by all tripartite committed members.....Read The Full Story Here ▶
This was proposed during a four-hour meeting which had in attendance the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero; President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Festus Osifo; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudden Abbas; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Finance, Wale Edun amongst others.
THE WHISTLER had earlier reported that the four-hour meeting between the National Assembly leadership in a bid to avert the planned national strike ended in a deadlock as organised labour insisted on going on an indefinite nationwide strike.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, a top source in the minimum wage negotiation committee who pleaded anonymity said the pattern of calling organised labour, a night before an industrial action was destroying the credibility of the labour unions.
The source said, “They pleaded that they would intervene for us to suspend the strike and that the wage award would continue until after the agreement of a new minimum wage is decided.
“The Head of Service said initially they got approval for six months, but they proposed to the government to extend the wage award until the minimum wage negotiation is concluded so we can call off the trike.
“We replied to them instead of a wage award, if a negotiation to arrive at a figure is done immediately, that would be good. The problem is not an extension of wage awards, Nigerians need a substantial minimum wage.