Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Nigeria's President has inaugurated the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee to determine a new minimum wage in line with ILO Convention 131. The 37-member committee, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Organised Private Sector of Nigeria, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, and the Federal Government, is expected to produce a new minimum wage in two months. The committee aims to motivate Nigerian workers to work for the common good, while also reducing commodity prices and aligning the minimum wage with the expectations of Nigerian workers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has said that it is going ahead with its two-day warning strike beginning tomorrow, saying it was not aware of any meeting with the Federal Government today.A top official of the NLC, told Vanguard yesterday, that as of press time, there was no invitation from the Government for any meeting, adding that the industrial action was instigated by state councils and industrial unions.However, the Minister of Information and Orientation, Mohammed Idris Magaji. said the Federal Government is in discussion with Labour over the planned strike.He said that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, met with the leadership of the NLC on Saturday, adding “We are very hopeful that the strike may be averted.The minister said the government will continue to appeal to Organized Labour to see the reason and the efforts of the government in providing palliatives through state governors and the Conditional Cash Transfer programme.He said the government’s position was to pass the palliatives through state governors, irrespective of party affiliations, because the effect of the subsidy removal is felt more in states.The Police under the instruction of certain forces peddling the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have invaded and occupied illegally the national headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers headquarters seeking to install its own executive.

The Nigerian Federal Government has requested the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria to cancel their planned nationwide indefinite strike from October 3, citing a court injunction violation. The National Economic Council has appealed to both parties to continue negotiations at the state level. The government has instituted contempt proceedings against labor leaders, but they were not prosecuted further.