Strike: FG dangles N25,000 increment to all workers, Labour goes back for consultation

The Federal Government and Labour Unions rose from their meeting on Sunday with the Federal Government promising  that all categories of workers would benefit from the provisional wage increment announced by President Bola Tinubu in his Independence Day nationwide broadcast.

The president had announced a wage increment of N25,000 for lower cadre workers in the country.

“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,” Tinubu had said.

However, after a four-hour closed door meeting, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the president agreed to the new formula after an observation by the labour unions.

He said that other issues were agreed on and would be made available after the unions might have met with their various organs by Monday.

Gbajabiamila said that the government and the unions were all working for the good of the country and its citizens.

‘’We hope labour will convene their meeting tomorrow to present these agreements to their members and we pray that they will call off the strike by Tuesday, for the benefit of the workers and the country.

The Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero, said the union had got a “promissory note” from the government to take back to its members.

“We have looked at all the promissory notes from the government and how to translate it to reality and make it workable; we are going to take it to our organs and review.

“We are hopeful that our organs will take a look at them and give a fresh mandate on what next to do,’’ he said.

NLC and Trade Union Congress had declared an indefinite nationwide strike for Tuesday over the fuel subsidy removal and the palliatives cushion the effects which government had yet to implement.

The meeting had in attendance from the government side the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Minister of Labour and Employment Simon Lalong and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha.

Others were Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris as well ministers of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, Finance, Wale Edun and that of Trade, Investment and Industry, Doris Uzoka-Anite.