President Bola Tinubu plans to announce pay increases next week to help workers cope with the loss of the petrol subsidy.
Before negotiating a new minimum wage next year, the labor movement, notably the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), has been campaigning for salary awards to mitigate the impact of the subsidy elimination on employees.
TUC President Comrade Festus Osifo said this during an interview on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” show.
The TUC has given the federal government a two-week deadline to meet its demands or risk nationwide strike action.
Osifo stated that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, informed the TUC that he had met with President Tinubu and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to discuss the issue.
Lalong added that the pay issue has been reviewed and that President Tinubu would speak on it in the coming days.
Osifo emphasized that the union had consulted with the federal government about the palliatives distributed to states and would monitor the distribution to ensure proper implementation.
He also emphasized taxation and compressed natural gas (CNG) debates.
In response to the current debate over a two-week warning strike, Osifo underlined that the TUC did not withdraw because they had not agreed to participate in the first place.
He stated that arranging a strike required correct protocol and strategy, and that the TUC had not launched or called for a strike.