Labour Unions Get Urgent Message From Nigeria Police: “Strike Will Bring Tension, Instability”

• The Nigeria Police Force has made a strong appeal to the leadership of the NLC and the TUC
• As the organised labour resolved to embark on a nationwide industrial strike on Monday, June 3, the police have called for caution and urged the union to halt the action
• The Force's spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, urged the labour unions to comply with the FG's legal procedures to prevent the breakdown of law and order in the country

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to call off the ongoing strike and continue to engage in negotiation meetings with the federal government.

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The police said negotiations will lead to a resolution, while the strike could cause more hardship for Nigerians.

In a statement by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the force’s public relations officer, the police asked the unions to shelve their strike to avoid the breakdown of law and order, The Punch reported.

The statement indicated that the federal government considers the strike illegal and premature, and the police force sees it as a possible cause of tension and instability, The Nigerian Tribune reported.

“In light of the Federal Government’s recent declaration that the planned strike is illegal and premature, the Nigeria Police Force views this action as a potential catalyst for increased tension and political instability.

“The NPF hereby urges organised labour to proceed with the ongoing deliberations at the Tripartite Committee, which is focused on determining a new minimum wage, and shelve the planned strike as such decision is essential to prevent untold hardships on members of the public and maintain order and stability within our country,” the statement reads in part.

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Why labour embarked on strike

Legit.ng understands that the leadership of the organised labour decided to embark on a nationwide strike following the federal government's inability to meet with their demands and present a reasonable offer as the new minimum wage.

The NLC is demanding a minimum wage of N494,000 and the government rejected the proposal citing a bloated civil service.

Primate Ayodele speaks on NLC's N494k minimum wage

Meanwhile, Primate Ayodele, a prominent religious leader, has said the organised labour's demand for N494,000 as the new minimum wage from the federal government is unrealistic.

The spiritual leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, said this while reacting to the NLC's request from the federal government.

The cleric maintained that the highest government can pay without hitches is N60,000, adding that what the NLC was asking for was unachievable because an increase in salaries would lead to an increase in inflation and cost of living.

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Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng