After a meeting that lasted until the wee hours of this morning, the Federal Government and organised Labour finally reach an agreement.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its proposed three-day warning strike following an agreement reached with the federal government on the implementation of the N18, 000 new national minimum wage.
This was the outcome of a meeting between the congress, Nigeria Governors` Forum (NGF) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) which ended in the early hours of this morning in Abuja.
The proposed strike was expected to pressure the federal government to implement the new minimum wage which it signed into law on March 23, 2011.
According to a communiqué which was read at the end of the meeting, the federal government agreed to implement the new national minimum wage with effect from Aug. 1, 2011.
It stated that arrears of the new wage would take effect from March 23, 2011 and would be paid not later than Aug. 31 2011.
The communiqué which was read by the NLC President, Comrade Abduwaheed Omar, stated, "The federal government shall conclude negotiations with labour on the implementation of the New National Minimum wage not later than July 31 2011.
"Details of the relative implications of the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage Act 2011 will be concluded no later than July 31, 2011."
The meeting also resolved that no worker should be victimised in any manner or form as a consequence of the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage.
The communiqué also stated that the resolution to suspend the three-day warning strike across the country was in line with the agreement earlier reached with the federal government and state governors.
It was jointly signed by Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Omar, and Emeka Wogu, the Minister of Labour and Productivity.
Comrade Peter Esele, Trade Union Congress President and Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation also signed the communiqué.
Wogu in his remarks expressed gratitude to labour for its patience, perseverance and understating in the course of the negotiations. He also thanked the NGF for its efforts and understanding in making sure that the issue was resolved. The minister assured the public that the federal government "will meet the terms of the agreement".
Mr Owei Lakemfa, NLC Acting General Secretary, said that the strike was called off because "the governors had agreed on a detailed implementation of the minimum wage with a timeline".
Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomole, represented the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), an umbrella association of the 36 state governors of the federation, at the meeting. The meeting which lasted four hours had been preceded a seven-hour meeting held by the governors earlier in the day.
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