By Seyi Babalola
As the impasse between the Nigeria labor Congress and the Federal Government over the proposed minimum wage continues, Nigerians have gone to social media to request that the labor union not damage the national grid during any prospective strike action.
On Monday, the NLC rejected the government’s offer of ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 as the new minimum wage. Assistant General Secretary Chris Onyeka referred to these amounts as a “starvation wage.”
“Our position is very clear. We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know can take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage,” Onyeka stated in an interview on Channels Television on Monday.
The NLC has maintained its demand for a ₦250,000 minimum wage, which Onyeka termed “enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation.”
Nigerians have flocked to social media to voice their concern over the possible impact of a nationwide strike on the electricity sector, as the federal government’s one-week grace period expires at midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
See reactions below:
“Okay good, do not touch the national grid. Please, I am begging you,” tweeted @TaoFeek182.
Another user, @Ishow_leck, echoed this sentiment, stating, “You guys should do whatever you want to do, but please keep off from the power grid this time. Let’s all sit home and relax peacefully.”
The calls for sparing the national grid stem from the widespread disruption caused by the previous week’s power outage, which left many Nigerians without electricity for extended periods.
“If NLC is going for a strike and National Grid/electricity is going with them, they might start losing the support of the masses. NLC should be smart about this, please. You need the support of the people to be able to pressure those in power,” cautioned @KhadijaGarba19.
