Industrial disharmony may be brewing again between the Federal Government and the Nigerian labour movement . The Joint public sector Negotiating council , the workers negotiation platform has expressed its disappointment over the failure of the government team to reach a solid agreement with them for the upteenth time and are threatening to call workers out on industrial action.
Consequent upon the deadlock in the negotiation particularly on the salary adjustment, secretary of the negotiation council, Lade Lawal noted in his chat with the press that organized labour may be left with no other option than to call out their members for industrial action which may not bode well for the nation’s budding economy.
While Federal Government settled for 11 percent for grade levels 7 to 14, 6 . 5 percent for level 15 to 17, the workers negotiation team is not bulging on its position that salary adjustment for levels 7 to 14 should be pegged at 24 percent and 25 percent for levels 15 to 17.
Mr Lawal said it was regrettable that the meeting deadlocked due to the fact that the Negotiating team of the Federal Government are not serious about the whole exercise, noting that a foul play is in the offing from the Federal Government side.
He noted that they will report back to the NLC and TUC and the next line of action will be conveyed to the public.
The Federal minister of Labour Chris Ngige however expressed optimism that the whole process of negotiation on the minimum wage shall sooner be concluded in a way that will favour the Nigerian working class.
