By Daniel Peters.
A meeting between the National Assembly leadership and the Nigeria Labour of Congress and Trade Union Congress has ended without a resolution, paving the way for a nationwide strike on Monday.
The meeting, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajuddeen Abbas, aimed to persuade labour to shelve its planned action over minimum wage demands.
Despite appeals from the Senate President, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, stated that the strike would commence as planned, pending discussions with their organs.
“The Senate President appealed to us to call off the strike. But we can’t sit here and call off the strike because we have other organs. We will take the appeals to our various organs.
“We don’t have the powers to call off the strike. For now, the strike will commence, while we discuss with our organs,” Osifo told newsmen after the meeting.
The meeting was attended by top government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Budget and National Planning.
Meanwhile, aviation unions have already announced their intention to join the strike and the withdrawal of services at airports.
Our correspondent in Lokoja reports that the organized labour in kogi state has also directed workers to join the indefinite strike in a statement signed by the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in Lokoja on Sunday.
Edited by Dawud Ahmed.