The AGF faulted the action of organised labour on the ground that the minimum wage negotiations with stakeholders had not reached a conclusive end.
The Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, has rebuked organised labour for calling for industrial action over the new national minimum wage debacle.
The AGF's remarks come in reaction to the announcement by the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Friday, May 31, 2024, declaring an indefinite nationwide strike action from Monday.
The labour unions cited the Federal Government's refusal to increase its proposed ₦60,000 as the new national minimum wage as the reason for the action.
However, Fagbemi in a letter dated June 1 and addressed to the leadership of the TUC and NLC, described the unions' declaration as “premature, ineffectual, and illegal.”
Pointing out the premature nature of the strike, the AGF noted that negotiations between the Federal Government and other stakeholders on determining a new national minimum wage had yet to reach a conclusive end.
“I wish to further draw your attention to the fact that the conditions outlined by our national legislation for exercising the right to strike are in tandem with the International Labour Organization principles concerning the right to strike.
“It is the position of the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association that the obligation to give prior notice, obligation to have recourse to conciliation, mediation and (voluntary) arbitration procedures in industrial disputes, etc are prior prerequisites for declaring a strike," he said.
