FG, Labour meet to avert Oct. 3 strike
Tamarauemi Ebimini
The meeting between the Federal Government and the labour unions have started at the Presidential Villa, Abuja with the aim of averting the industrial action planned by the unions.
It will be recalled that a scheduled meeting at the villa on Friday was cancelled when the unions failed to show up.
The Nigeria Labour Union (NLC) and the Trade union Congress (TUC) have declared Tuesday to begin an indefinite strike over the issue of fuel subsidy removal palliatives.
In the time past, causes of strike in Nigeria have been linked to perceptions by employees perceived that they were not being treated fairly with respect to pay and condition of service.
Reports show that strikes in Nigeria can be prevented through fair pay, good working conditions and clear Human Resources procedures which ensure that employees feel valued.
In response to the labour demands, President Bola Tinubu on Sunday announced a wage increment for workers in the country as well as the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas buses to ease cost of transportation.
Tinubu said: ‘’Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation.
‘’For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional Twenty-Five Thousand Naira per month.
‘’These buses will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares. New CNG conversions kits will start coming in very soon as all hands are on deck to fast track the usually lengthy procurement process.
The president said in a broadcast that government was committed to relieving the hardship faced by Nigerians, adding that various measures had been taken by all tiers of government to mitigate them.
Tinubu added: ‘’There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago.”
Sunday’s meeting holding at the Chief of Staff’s Conference Room at the villa is expected to come out with resolutions much awaited by Nigerians to stop the impending industrial strike which several chapters of the unions have pledged to join on Tuesday.
The meeting has in attendance from the government side the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Minister of Labour and Employment Simon Lalong, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkiruka Onyejeocha.
