The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) announced Tuesday that the ongoing nationwide strike will carry on, even after reaching a wage agreement with the federal government in negotiations the previous day.
In a post on the social media platform X, the labor union stated: “Until we hear from our organs at our meeting scheduled for today, June 4, we are still on strike.”
The strike, which began Monday, brought much of the country’s economic activities to a standstill. Businesses, airports, schools, banks and government offices were largely shuttered as workers walked off the job to protest low wages.
On Monday evening, the government met with labor leaders, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in an effort to resolve the dispute. According to the NLC, the government agreed to raise the minimum wage above the 60,000 naira level the unions had demanded.
However, the NLC is waiting for the various branches and committees within its organisation to review and approve the deal reached on Monday before calling off the strike action that has paralysed Africa’s largest economy.
The government has not yet publicly confirmed the wage figure it proposed, nor provided other details of the tentative agreement meant to end the nationwide labour strikes.
Negotiations are expected to continue Tuesday as the country awaits the NLC’s decision on whether to resume work or extend the crippling job actions.
