Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, in a deal with the Federal Government, have agreed to suspend the ongoing indefinite strike, just 24 hours after workers severely impacted Nigeria’s economy. Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, disclosed the resolution on Tuesday night following an emergency meeting. The agreement, signed by key officials including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, commits the government to a minimum wage higher than N60,000 and mandates daily meetings of the tripartite committee for the next week to finalize a National Minimum Wage. Organized labour, respecting the President’s commitment, pledges to convene an immediate meeting to consider the government’s offer and ensures no victimization of workers due to the strike. A senior executive from organized labour confirmed the suspension of the strike, stating it aligns with the government’s commitments. Meanwhile, earlier talks with the National Assembly ended without resolution, prompting the strike on June 3. The strike paralyzed Nigeria’s economy, affecting aviation, power, banking, ports, energy, transportation, and telecommunications sectors. Airlines canceled flights, power grid shutdowns caused nationwide blackouts, and fuel scarcity compounded the situation as NUPENG joined the strike.”
