Nigeria labour congress calls off planned strike

There was relief yesterday as a midnight agreement between labour and the federal government on the dispute over minimum wage for workers averted a nationwide strike that was scheduled to commence today.
The agreement, which would see the nation's workers receive a minimum pay cheque of N30,000, was reached among labour, Organised Private Sector (OPS) and the federal government after a 12-hour meeting of the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee that was composed to resolve the dispute.
The Chairman of the committee, Mrs. Amal Pepple, said at the end of the meeting at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, that the report, which was signed by all the parties, would be submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari today by 4.15 p.m.
After receiving the document, the president will address the nation and unveil a new national minimum wage.
The President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Ayuba Wabba, thereafter announced the suspension of the strike following the landmark agreement with federal government.
"Having reached this position, and also the fact that the assignment has been concluded, the organised labour has decided that the proposed industrial action is hereby suspended. As the chairman has said, mutual agreement has been reached, and clearly having reached this agreement, we like to appreciate the role the private sector has played," Wabba said.The negotiations began about 11a.m. yesterday.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, thanked the negotiating team for doing a wonderful job of working on the processes of introducing a new minimum wage for the country, describing it as a long journey that began in November 2017.
Mustapha said Buhari had accepted to receive the report today at the Presidential Villa.
He acknowledged the work of the committee for working assiduously in the past 12 months, saying the implementation of new salary structure will enhance the status of workers and ensure they receive the commensurate salary they deserve.
There had been palpable anxiety yesterday as the horse trading went on all day, with many Nigerians stockpiling foodstuffs and making arrangements to tackle the anticipated effects of the scheduled strike.
The Nigerian economy was estimated to lose over N1 billion daily if the nationwide strike had commenced today.
Analysts, including professor of Economics, Akpan Ekpo, also the director-general of West African Institute for Financial Economic Management, Lagos, who spoke to THISDAY yesterday, had warned that unless the strike was prevented, the disruption to public and private economic activities would cost the nation dearly.