The Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has enforced an indefinite strike by locking the entrance to the FCTA Secretariat, following directives from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The industrial action, which commenced on Monday, stems from the Federal Government’s failure to increase the proposed minimum wage of N60,000 and its refusal to reverse the recent hike in electricity tariffs.
IThe NLC and TUC had instructed their members to strike indefinitely starting June 3, after the government did not meet the May 31 ultimatum for negotiations on a new national minimum wage.
Mrs. Rifkatu Lortyer, the President of JUAC, stated that the union’s decision to lock the Secretariat aligns with the directives from the NLC and TUC.
“JUAC, being part of the labour unions, has no choice but to fully enforce the strike,”Lortyer told reporters in Abuja.
“My advice to FCTA workers is simple: stay at home and be the obedient workers you’ve always been. The strike action is for the interest of the Nigerian workers.”
TUC President Festus Osifo reiterated the necessity of the strike, emphasizing the government’s refusal to adjust the minimum wage and roll back the increased electricity tariffs.
“The strike has become necessary as the government declined to increase the N60,000 wage it offered during the recent meeting of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage,” Osifo explained.
“This action is also a response to the refusal of the government to reverse the hike in electricity tariff.”
The strike, which follows a warning issued during the May Day celebrations, underscores the ongoing tensions between the government and labor unions over worker welfare and economic policies.
•INDEPENDENTNG.