We’ll Embark on Protest Not Strike, Says NLC

We’ll Embark on Protest Not Strike, Says NLC

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that the planned nationwide protest over the non-submission of the new minimum wage bill to the National Assembly will hold on Tuesday.

The labour movement however said that Tuesday’s action is not a declaration of industrial action as was erroneously reported by some media houses.

Members of the organised labour had threatened to commence a series of protest across the country Tuesday over the delay in transmitting the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee on a new National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement issued Monday, NLC said all the state councils, affiliate unions, allies in other pro-people mass organisations and the civil society organisations have been mobilised to ensure the success of Tuesday’s nationwide protest.

In the statement signed by the NLC General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson, the labour movement said it has not declared strike action.

He said the National Executive Council of NLC had met on December 17, last year and directed its affiliate unions to hold nationwide mobilisation of workers and our allies if by 31st December, 2018 the bill on the National Minimum Wage has yet to be sent to the National Assembly to be passed as an Act of Parliament.

In the statement, NLC said that contrary to reports in some media organisations, the leadership of the unions didn’t threaten to go on strike.
“We immediately announced then that on Tuesday, 8th January 2019, there will be a nationwide mass mobilisation and protests simultaneously across all states in Nigeria. This does not translate to a strike.

“It is on record that each time we had cause to embark on a national strike, we say so publicly without any equivocation. We still don’t understand where the story about a strike commencing tomorrow came from.

“Already, all our state councils, affiliate unions and allies in other pro-people mass organisations now popularly referred to as civil society organisations have been fully informed and mobilised to ensure the success of tomorrow’s (Tuesday) mass protests in all the states and the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

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