Labour Suspends Strike

Abdul Waheed Omar, NLC President

It was close, very close but organised labour finally decided early Wednesday morning to call off its three-day warning strike which was planned to commence Wednesday.

The impasse over the implementation of the new minimum national wage of N18,000 was finally resolved after a series of meetings between the labour unions and governors as well as Federal Government officials.

A communique released early Wednesday morning said the strike had been called off with immediate effect.

THISDAY however learnt that because of the lateness of the truce, the labour officials would find it difficult to pass the message across to members, meaning the strike may be observed Wednesday, at least partially.  

The communique also said payment of the new minimum wage would start from August 1, 2011, declaring that all negotiations should end by July 31.

All arrears since the law was signed last March are also expected to be paid.

The communique concluded that "no worker shall be victimised" as a result of this industrial action.

The communique was signed on behalf of the Federal Government by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu; and Head of Service of the Federation, Professor Afolabi.

President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Omar Abdulwahid and President of Trade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Peter Esele signed on behalf of labour.

It was read by Abdulwahid.

Before the strike was called off, it had been announced that employees of the Lagos State civil service had opted out. 

The state government said its workforce was not participating in the action because none receives below the N18,000 in question as monthly wage. 

The state Head of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, who said this at the presentation of retirement bond certificates worth N2.198 billion to 322 retirees, added that the government had already complied with the Minimum Wage Act. 

A circular with Ref No CIR/HOS/11/VOL.I/068 was issued to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) including the office of the deputy governor, speaker of the House of Assembly, 

commissioners, permanent secretaries, local government chairmen and hospital administrators, among others. 

The circular read: “As a proactive government, it is heartening that the new salary structure being operated since January 2011 in the Lagos State Public Service has adequately accommodated the provisions of the Act since the least paid employee now earns N18,780.48k (GP) per month as already reflected in circular Ref No. EST/S.190/S.6/VOL.III/192 of 21st February, 2011. In the same vein, parastatal organisations in the State Public Service are being assisted to comply with the Minimum Wage Act. 

“The action of government is driven at ensuring stability in the socio-economic activities of the state which any industrial action might severely hamper.  Furthermore, the state is seriously concerned about the negative impact of strike to the dispensation of essential safety and security services such as healthcare, water supply, fire services and emergency management, etc, to her citizenry.” 

The meeting between the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), NLC and TUC had ended in a more confusing state. 

The NLC and TUC officials refused to speak to newsmen at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, saying they were heading to another meeting with Anyim. 

Chairman of the NGF, Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, had told newsmen that they had concluded their aspect of the meeting with the NLC and TUC. 

He said: “We have finished with the NLC and TUC. We are ready to make sacrifice where necessary because of the overbearing interest of the country, which is bigger than any individual. We have reached an agreement not to talk to anybody on this again.” 

Also, the President of TUC, Esele, simply said: “We are going to the SGF’s office for the concluding part of the meeting.” 

The NGF consequently raised a five-man committee to accompany the NLC and TUC to the meeting with the SGF on an observer status. 

The members of the committee include Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, his Enugu State counterpart, Sullivan Chime, and three others, whose names THISDAY could not ascertain at press time. 

It was gathered that at the meeting, the governors convinced the labour leaders that they were willing to pay the minimum wage but insisted that it would be based on availability of funds. 

According to one of the governors, who explained the terms of the meeting to THISDAY, “we are willing to pay, but we are also pushing that there be an amendment to the Federal Revenue Allocation formula to reflect the reality on ground". 

He said: “This is what we meant by the relativity to pay.” 

He said the chairman of the NGF signed an agreement with the labour leaders that the states would pay the minimum wage once there was the “relativity agreement” and the Federal Government kept to its agreement that the revenue sharing formula would be reviewed. 

The governors of Rivers, Bauchi, Enugu, Edo, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Plateau, Zamfara, Nasarawa and deputy governors of Katsina, Jigawa, and Ondo, among others, were present at the meeting. 

Abdulwahid; the two Deputy Presidents of NLC, Isa Aremu; and Promise Adewusi, were at the meeting. The TUC President, Esele, and TUC’s General Secretary, John Kolawole, were also at the meeting. They arrived the venue at exactly 12.56 pm. The meeting came to an end at about 6.50 pm.