In a bid to prevent the planned indefinite strike set to start tomorrow, the Federal Government presented new proposals to the labor unions.

Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, relayed the president’s decision to adjust his Independence Day commitments. President Tinubu, following further consultations, decided to raise intervention funds for all Federal Workers from N25,000 to N35,000 for the next six months.

Despite the government’s efforts, the negotiation meeting ended without a final resolution. Both labor unions will consult their National Executive Councils (NEC) regarding the government’s latest proposal.

At a press briefing, Gbajabiamila expressed optimism about the meetings’ outcomes, emphasizing the government’s dedication to addressing workers’ concerns. He anticipates that the unions will review the new agreements and hopefully halt the scheduled strike.

The Guardian reported that NLC President Joe Ajaero acknowledged the discussions, noting that while they’ve examined the government’s promises, decisions about the strike will be made after further consultation.

Key resolutions from the meeting included:

• Provisional wage increase of N35,000 for treasury-paid federal workers for six months.
• Faster provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to address the challenges of removing the PMS subsidy.
• Funding for micro and small-scale enterprises.
• Waiving VAT on diesel for six months.
• A three-month payment scheme of N25,000 monthly to 15 million households from October to December 2023.

The attendees, however, agreed that disputes would best be resolved if workers were on duty, indicating hopes to prevent the upcoming strike.

According to a statement from the presidency, labor unions have requested a higher wage. The Federal Government team will discuss this with President Tinubu for further evaluation.

To facilitate the implementation of these resolutions, the establishment of a sub-committee was agreed upon.

The topic of disputes between the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State also surfaced. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledged to address this matter.

Both NLC and TUC have expressed intentions to reconsider the government’s offers. They aim to suspend their strike for more discussions regarding the implementation of the above resolutions.

The meeting was attended by notable figures, including the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, and Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong.

Before the negotiation meeting, the NLC had opposed the N25,000 monthly wage increase for some federal civil servants. They argue that this amount is insufficient given the nation’s economic challenges.