The organised labour has declined to call off the strike billed to start Monday after rising from a meeting chaired by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the leadership of the Nigeria Governors Forum at an emergency meeting in Abuja.
The labour leaders said they would go home and consult the various organs of labour before the strike can be called off.
But unions operating in the nation’s aviation sector, on Sunday announced their decision to shut down airports across the country in compliance with the directive of the Nigerian Labor Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, beginning from Monday, June 3.
Recall that the NLC and TUC had on Friday called for an indefinite nationwide strike over the failure of the federal government to conclude on the new national minimum wage and refusal to reverse the electricity tariffs hike.
In a statement jointly signed by the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE; Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSAN; Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, ANAP, and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, the unions said Nigerian local airports will be shut by 00:00hrs on Monday, June 3, 2024 while strike action at the international airports will commence on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, noting that the withdrawal of services by the unions will be indefinite.
READ ALSO: Senate President, Labor leaders, others hold emergency meeting over looming strike
“In compliance with the directive from our labor centers, NLC and TUC, we, hereby, inform the general public, aviation service providers, airline operators. aviation businesses and all aviation workers nationwide that starting from 0000hrs of June 3, 2024 all services at all Nigerian airports shall be fully withdrawn till further notice.
“Being not oblivious of the fact that many international flights to Nigeria are already airborne, the strike action will commence at international terminals on 4th of June, 2024.
“All aviation workers should recognize the seriousness of this struggle and comply unfailingly. All Branch officers of our unions shall ensure full compliance at all airports,” they stated.
At the Sunday night meeting were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris and lawmakers.
On Friday, the Nigeria Labor Congress declared an indefinite nationwide strike, starting on Monday, June 3, 2024, due to the Federal Government’s refusal to increase the proposed minimum wage above N60,000.
READ ALSO: Labor declares indefinite strike over minimum wage
The President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, announced that the strike followed failed negotiations between the government and organized labor.
Despite the government’s final offer of N60,000, which included a recent increase from an initial N57,000, the labor unions found the proposal insufficient.
At the meeting, labor revised its demand, reducing it by N3,000 from the initial N497,000 proposed last week, setting the new proposal at N494,000.
Despite this concession, the negotiations remained deadlocked as the government maintained its offer of N60,000, leading to the declaration of a nationwide indefinite strike.
Credible News.ng
