Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, in a move aimed at averting the impending national strike by the organised labour, Monday, in Abuja engaged labour leaders in a reconciliatory meeting.
The labour side of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSC) backed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) last week served a notice to commence strike on October 16.
The strike, according to Emma Uboaja, the general secretary, who also wrote to state councils of the NLC, is to force the government to accede to labour’s demand on the consequential adjustments of salaries of workers from grade levels 07 to 17 following the approval of the new N30,000 national minimum wage.
Labour is demanding 29 percent salary adjustment or workers on grade level 07 to 14 and 24 percent for officers on grade 15 to 17. The Federal Government on the other hand has proposed 11 percent for workers on levels 07 to 14 and 6.5 percent for officers on level 15 to 17.
Several meetings in the past to resolve the impasse had proven abortive, with labour insisting on strike.
At the meeting in Abuja on Monday, the government side of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council met separately with the Chris Ngige in an effort to resolve the trade dispute.
While the meeting with the labour team of the JNPSC started by 12noon and ended 2.45pm, the minister sat in conciliation with the government side of the council between 3pm to 6pm.
Deliberations at the meeting were geared towards smoothening the rough edges ahead of another meeting today (Tuesday).
Representing the organised labour were Amaechi Asugwuni, deputy chairman of the NLC, Emma Ugboaja, general secretary; Musa Lawal Ozigi, secretary general of the TUC, Lawal Alade Bashir, general secretary of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, among others.
Also in attendance was Folashade Yemi-Esan; William Alo, permanent secretary, ministry of labour and employment; Ben Akabueze, director general, Budget Office; Ekpo Nta, acting chairman of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, among others.
Meanwhile, Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) said on Monday they were awaiting a directive from the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) regarding the planned strike.
Tayo Aboyeji, Southwest spokesperson of the PTD, told our correspondent that “I cannot say whether or not we shall join the strike. We’re awaiting a directive from our national headquarters.”
NUPENG to which the PTD belongs is an affiliate of United Labour Congress (ULC) which broke away from NLC.
JOSHUA BASSEY
