Labour Threatens Strike Over Delayed Implementation of MOU
Organized labour has expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it signed with the Federal Government to avert a nationwide strike.
The state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have warned that they may be forced to declare an industrial action after the October 30 deadline if the federal and state governments fail to implement the terms of the resolutions agreed with the organized labour.
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The resolutions include the payment of a N35,000 wage award to all federal workers beginning from September pending when a new national minimum wage would be signed into law, the provision of 55,000 Compressed Natural Gas conversion kits to kick-start the autogas conversion programme, and the construction of state-of-the-art CNG stations nationwide.
So far, only a handful of the 15 demands contained in the MoU have been implemented by the government. The Federal Government has ordered the payment of the N35,000 wage award and provision was being made for 55,000 Compressed Natural Gas conversion kits, but work has yet to commence on the construction of the CNG stations.
The Ogun State TUC Chairman, Akeem Lasisi, said that the union might be forced to declare an industrial action after the October 30 deadline if the federal and state governments failed to implement the terms of the resolutions agreed with the organised labour.
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The Kano State chapter of the NLC said it would wait to see the implementation of the wage award by the Federal Government before knowing the right steps to take.
The Gombe State chapter of the NLC has also threatened to declare an industrial action if the state government fails to implement its four demands, including the biometric attendance, clearing of outstanding 2019 minimum wage for local government staff, provision of palliatives and the N35,000 award across the board.
The organized labour is urging the federal and state governments to expedite the implementation of the MOU in order to avoid an industrial action.
Source: Punch Ng
