Aisha Yesufu, a popular Nigerian activist, strongly criticized the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for ending the indefinite nationwide strike. The strike aimed to protest the Federal Government’s rejection of the proposed new minimum wage. Beginning on Monday, June 3, the organized labour effectively shut down public offices and institutions nationwide to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s position on the minimum wage issue.
Following an emergency meeting with government officials, including Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Labour decided to suspend the strike on Tuesday, June 4. In a video clip shared on her verified social media account, Aisha Yesufu questioned the strike’s effectiveness, stating that it had failed to achieve its goals.
She highlighted that despite the disruption caused by the strike, there was no tangible outcome in terms of reaching a satisfactory agreement between Labour and the government on the minimum wage matter. Aisha expressed dismay over the suspension, emphasizing that many people had endured hardships due to the strike, with missed flights and disrupted travel plans. She also pointed out the inadequacy of the current minimum wage, arguing that earning as little as N60,000 per month was insufficient to cover basic needs like food and shelter.
In her statement, she said,”You have made everybody miss their flights to change everything and people could not travel. At least when you do all of these things, at the end of the day, if something comes out of you, you will know that your sacrifice was not in vain. But when you do this and nothing comes out, what is the essence? People have continued to say that they don’t trust labour and I was even saying they should give the union a chance. You have not even reached a proper agreement so what are you suspending for? A lot of people are suffering. This minimum wage, how can someone be earning like 60k in a month? It is really crazy it’s not as if you are providing the person with food and shelter. They signed an agreement yesterday and there is nothing there. I’m just wondering whether they signed the agreement under duress.”
Labour Union Call Off Strike! No wonder many don't Trust Them 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/vBHKg6Q9sh
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) June 4, 2024