NASS asks Labour to call off strike – The Sun Nigeria

By Ndubuisi Orji and Fred Itua, Abuja

The leadership of the National Assembly appealed to the unions on Sunday evening to suspend their planned industrial action to set a new minimum wage and to continue their negotiations with the federal government.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas made the appeal after a closed meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Akpabio told reporters after the closed session: “We decided to intervene because we are a people’s parliament. The 10th National Assembly firmly believes that anything that will cause further suffering to the people of Nigeria must be avoided.”

“We also know that it is not just about strikes. In the wards where hospitals are closed, most of the poor people will die. Those who suffer from lack of oxygen will die. Goods and services will not flow freely. Productivity will drop drastically.”

However, union leaders said it was not appropriate to call off the industrial action and noted that they would report back to their respective bodies.

TUC President Festus Osifo said: “It is not possible for us to sit here and call off the industrial action because our people have given us a condition precedent. We have listened to them and we will take their request to our body. At the moment we do not have the power to call off the industrial action. The industrial action will continue.”