Nigerian labor union calls for strike on Thursday over minimum wage

The decision was made
by the central working committee of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday,
according to a statement by TUC Secretary-General Musa-Lawal Ozigi reaching
Xinhua in Lagos on Tuesday.

“Strike is hereby
declared to commence from early hours of Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018,” he said.

According to Ozigi,
all workers, civil society organizations and the masses are put on notice to
stockpile their houses for all necessary provisions and food items.

He called on union
members to be alert for further directive on or before Thursday.

Labor union leaders
are asking the federal government to raise the national minimum wage from
18,000 naira (50.07 U.S. dollars) to 56,000 naira, citing the current economic
realities, especially the high rate of inflation in the country.

The 18,000-naira
minimum wage was approved when the naira was exchanging at 145 naira to the
dollar, and it has been unchanged for over eight years.

The naira now stands
at around 360 to the dollar on the parallel market.

The labor leaders had
on Sept. 12 warned the government against foot-dragging on the new minimum
wage, urging it to allow a tripartite committee on minimum wage to conclude its
job to avoid action.

President Muhamadu
Buhari in November 2017 approved the appointment of the 30-member tripartite
National Minimum Wage Committee for the negotiation of a new minimum wage.

The committee is made
up of representatives from the worker unions, employer organizations, and the
central and state governments.

GNA