Breaking: FG, Labour to meet tomorrow over strike, minimum wage

The Federal Government has, through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIWC, summoned a meeting of the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage for tomorrow, June 4.

The last meeting of the committee ended abruptly on May 31. This was after the Organised Labour negotiating team walked out following the government and organised private sector, OPS’s refusal to go beyond the N60,000 they had earlier offered.

Vanguard gathered that tomorrow’s meeting will be by 10 am.

According to sources, the government is alarmed by the level of compliance and participation by workers in the first day of the indefinite nationwide strike.

Compliance

Meanwhile, the unions shut down the country’s electricity industry in compliance with the strike order.

Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Dominic Igwebike, told Vanguard that the power sector had been shut down.

Also, all loading activities at fuel depots in Lagos have been halted by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.

However, Vanguard was informed that all loaded trucks were allowed to leave the depots, including aviation terminals, for safety purposes.

According to a labour leader, “We don’t want to keep a loaded truck within the depot because it is highly flammable.”

Similarly, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has shut down port operations across the country.

An official of the Union told Vanguard that besides Lagos ports, all other port formations in Port Harcourt, Warri, Onne, Calabar, and others have been closed.

According to the official, they would remain shut until further notice from the national leadership of organised labour.

The same scenario is playing out in other sectors across the country, including the FCT.