Tension was doused in Rivers State midnight of Monday, September 7, 2020 when the strike expected to start Tuesday morning was suspended by the organized Labour led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) bosses.
The call-off came at night following late evening talks in Government House ostensibly at the instance of the Rivers State Government (RSG) led by Gov Nyesom Wike who had been blowing hot all through before now.
The turn-about came by surprise, after youths loyal to the governor had threatened violence against the strike leaders with loyal groups using social media to denigrate the labour leaders, accusing them of being sponsored by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
The national president of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, who read the agreement said the parties agreed to sign the agreement on the implementation of the new national minimum wage and consequential adjustments.
Wabba announced that the State NLC secretariat that was sealed off for the correction of structural defects, would be unsealed while Government continues with correction work, if any.
He stated that the State Government would immediately restore the remittance of check-off dues and pay all outstanding arrears to the respective labour unions.
According to him, Government would pay the salaries withheld from health workers due to the 2017 strike action.
The NLC president also said the parties agreed to set up a tripartite committee to resolve the adjustment of pensions in line with the constitution and payment of pension and gratuity.
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Parties, he said, agreed to take steps to discontinue all on-going litigations in relation to hitherto disputed matters.
Comrade Wabba added that no worker would be victimised on account of his or her involvement in the industrial dispute with the State Government.
He commended Gov Wike for his statesmanship that facilitated the resolution of the dispute.
Tammy Danagogo, Secretary to the State Government, Rufus Godwins, Head of Service, Paulinus Nsirim, Commissioner for Information and Communications, and Ayebaesin Beredugo, personal assistant to Gov Wike, signed on behalf of Rivers State Government.
Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the NLC, Musa Lawal, Secretary General of the TUC, Beatrice Itubo, chairman of Rivers NLC, Austin Jonah, chairman of Rivers TUC, Chuku Emecheta, Rivers State JPSNC, and Obi Fortune, Secretary General of Rivers TUC, signed on behalf of the organized labour.
By this, the much-talked about strike action starting with protests on the streets of Port Harcourt that were to start on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, would not hold anymore.
