This was disclosed in a circular issued to all the state chairmen of the NLC.

The circular signed by the National President of the congress, Ayuba Wabba, partly read, “We bring you fraternal greetings from the national secretariat of the NLC.

“In line with the decisions of the National Executive Council meeting of the NLC held on June 30, 2022, we have scheduled as follows the National Days of Protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education.”

According to the circular, the protest would be held on “Tuesday, July 26, 2022, and Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in all the states of the Federation and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

“Take-off point is the NLC State Secretariats and the Labour House, Abuja. You are requested to immediately convene the meetings of your SAC to disseminate this information and to fully mobilise workers in the states for this very important protest for good governance,” it added.

ASUU had embarked on a nationwide strike on Monday, February 14, 2022.

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria warned that any attempt to reduce workers’ pay would be suicidal.

According to them, if the government is desirous of reducing its bloated payroll, it should slash the fat remuneration and allowances of  political office holders  “who do very little but collect so much.’’

the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement on Wednesday, titled, ‘We have no more blood to bleed: Organised labour in Nigeria condemns and rejects plans to slash the salaries of Nigerian workers,’ berated Ahmed.

He urged the government to respond to the demands by Labour for an upward review of salaries of all workers.

He stated, “It is almost unthinkable that government would be contemplating to unilaterally slash the salaries of Nigerian workers at this time. The question to ask is ‘which salary is the government planning to slash?’ It certainly cannot be the meagre national minimum wage of N30,000 which right now cannot even buy a bag of rice. The proposed slash in salaries is certainly not targeted at the minimum wage and consequential adjustment in salaries that some callous state governors are still dragging their feet to pay. It is public knowledge that the multiple devaluations of the Naira in a very short time and the prevailing high inflation rate in Nigeria have knocked out the salaries earned by Nigerian workers across the board. Nigerian workers are only surviving by hair’s breadth. Indeed, Nigerian workers are miracles strutting on two legs. It is, therefore, extremely horrendous for a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pronounce a salary slash for Nigerian workers at this time. This call for salary slash by Mrs Zainab Ahmed is tantamount to a “mass suicide” wish for Nigerian workers. It is most uncharitable, most insensitive, most dehumanizing and most barbaric. Nigerian workers demand an immediate retraction and apology by the minister of finance.”

In his reaction, the ASCSN president, Dr Tommy Etim admonished the government to cut salaries of political office holders, adding that National Assembly members should sit on a part-time basis.

He said, “The government should reduce the pay of political office holders, the pay cut should begin with the political officeholders. Not only that, but let them also come up with a law that will make National Assembly be on a part-time basis. Their sitting should be on a part-time basis because the chunk of money goes to them. So, it would be better if the government looks in that direction and leaves the civil service alone. A civil servant is responsible for more than five family members by African tradition extended family system. So, how do you expect them to survive on N30,000 minimum wage? Some states are not even paying. I mean, it is absurd for any government to contemplate pay cut for workers at this point.’’

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, stated this after a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.

Recalling when the minimum wage was adopted, Wabba said the N30,000 monthly wage was signed into law on April 18, 2019.

The NLC President, however said of the Governors continued to delay the increase, the association may take legal action over the matter.

“The worst violators of the national minimum wage law are employers in the public sector especially state governors.

“We should consider the use of the court of law to assert the sovereignty of our laws and compliance to same,” he said.

On national minimum pension for pensioners, Wabba stressed that Section 173 of the constitution demands review of minimum pension every four years.

NLC said it expected that all states in Nigeria would have concluded talks on the consequential increase in salaries.

He urged state governments yet to negotiate an agreement to do so, adding that workers would not wait forever.

On behalf of organised labour, the communique was signed by NLC President Ayuba Wabba; TUC President Quadri Olaleye; Secretary-General NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja; Secretary-General TUC Musa Lawal Ozigi; NUPENG President Williams Akporeha; PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo; President NUEE Martin Uzoegwu and President, SSAEAC Chris N. Okonkwo.

According to the labour leaders, they considered the impact of COVID-19 before agreeing to shelve the industrial action.

Part of the communique read, “Recognising the public outcry and protest over the recent Federal Government twin policies on Electricity Tariff Reform and full implementation of deregulation of the downstream sector of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry resulting in the planned nationwide industrial action by Organised Labour; Bearing in mind the spiral and negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on world economy, Further bearing in mind that due to impact of COVID-19 pandemic the world is undergoing socio-economic transition which has affected price stability, sustainability of enterprises, employment, and other socio-economic indices; Acknowledging that the spiral and negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy has given rise to the need for a new socio-economic order; Recognising the need to sustain enterprises for retention and creation of jobs as well as sustainable growth and development; Acknowledging the need for social concertation between the Federal Government and workers’ representatives, namely the two Labour Centres – The NLC and TUC; To aid in the dialogue and communication, the Federal Government side made presentations to show the state of economy and the drive behind the recent cost–reflective Electricity Tariff adjustments and deregulation of the downstream sector of the Petroleum Industry; Bipartite meeting to address and resolve the issues in dispute between the Federal Government and Labour Centres were held on September 15, 24, and 27, 2020, After exhaustive deliberations on the issues raised by Labour Centres, the Federal Government stated that it has fashioned out palliatives that would ameliorate the sufferings that Nigerian workers may experience as a result of the cost-reflective Electricity Tariff adjustments and deregulation of the downstream sector of the Petroleum Industry. The palliatives will be in the areas of transport, power, housing, agriculture and humanitarian support. After thorough debates and negotiations on various issues raised by all parties, resolutions were reached and mutually adopted.”

The organised labour on September 16 gave the Federal government two weeks ultimatum to reverse the increase on both commodities or face a nationwide protest from September 28.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, September 22, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba said the protest action was inevitable since the federal government has refused to reverse the increase in electricity and fuel prices.

He said “Whereas the entire privatisation process, the entire sector was sold at about N400 billion. We are also surprised that government, within the last four years, injected N1.5 trillion over and above the amount that was used to sell these very important assets. And therefore NEC came to the conclusion that the entire privatisation process has failed and the electricity hike is actually a process of continued exploitation of Nigerians. On the issue of the refineries and also the increase in the pump price of PMS, these have further eroded the gains of N30,000 minimum wage,”

The Labour Congress issued the ultimatum after its Central Working Committee meeting which held for several hours in Abuja today September 16

In a communiqué read by NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, the body said the ultimatum takes immediate effect, warning that at the end of its expiration on September 28, it would mobilize its members nationwide for civil unrest.

Wabba said “The Central Working Committee has resolved to issue a two-week ultimatum to the Federal government to reverse its decision or face industrial action and peaceful assembly”