Mohammed Shosanya
The Federal Government has maintained silence over electricity tariff hike and agitation by organised labour for the reversal of same.
The reversal of the tariff was one of the demands of organised labour,which led to almost two-days nationwide industrial action.
At the National Executive Council Meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC held in Abuja on Tuesday,the organised labour expressed disappointment over government’s silence and lack of concrete action regarding the reversal of the electricity tariff hike and the abolition of the apartheid classification of electricity consumers into Bands.
“The NEC reaffirms that these issues are critical to alleviating the financial burden on Nigerian workers and the general populace. The electricity tariff hike and discriminatory Band classification remain unacceptable and must be addressed alongside the wage increase”,labour said in a communique issued at the end of the meeting.
According to the communique, the NEC-in-Session acknowledges the personal offer by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Bola Ahmed Tinubu to commit to a higher National Minimum Wage above the N60,000 (Sixty thousand Naira) on offer.
The NEC-in-session also frowned at the refusal of the federal government to go beyond the N60,000 (Sixty thousand Naira) at the ongoing national minimum wage negotiation exercise which compelled our withdrawal.
On the agreement with the federal government,the NEC-in-session affirms that the federal government has agreed that their offer of N60,000 (Sixty thousand Naira) was not sufficient and has therefore shown commitment to making better wage offer to Nigerian workers and reaching agreement on the same within one week.
The NEC-in session relaxed for one week the indefinite nationwide strike action from Tuesday to allow the Federal Government commit to a concrete and acceptable National Minimum Wage; take definitive steps to reverse the electricity tariff hike back to N66/kwh and abolish the discriminatory classification of electricity consumers into Bands.
The communique said:”The NLC and TUC National Leadership are mandated to continue to maintain open channels of communication with the Federal Government to negotiate and secure favourable outcomes for Nigerian workers and people.
“All affiliate unions and State Councils are therefore directed to Relax the indefinite nationwide strike and return to their respective workplaces immediately.
” The NEC-in-Session expresses profound gratitude to Nigerian workers and the general public for their unwavering support and solidarity in this critical struggle for improved living and working conditions.
“The NLC and TUC remain committed to pursuing all necessary actions to protect the rights and welfare of all Nigerian people and workers as we urge all to await further directives while the negotiation continues”.
