The organised labour on Friday said it had started mobilisation
of members ahead of the Jan. 8 strike over payment of the agreed N30,000
New Minimum Wage.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
correspondent, who visited some of the labour unions in Lagos, gathered
that workers had been informed on the strategic roles to play while
awaiting further instructions.

NAN reports that the three labour centres, the
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC)
and the United Labour Congress (ULC), had met on Dec. 20, 2018.

The
organised labour gave the Federal Government on or before Dec. 31 to
submit the Tripartite Committee Report on the N30,000 minimum wage to
the National Assembly or face strike.

Meanwhile, the government is expected to meet with some of the labour leaders on Friday to forestall the planned strike.

Mr Chris Onyeka, Deputy
General Secretary, ULC, said that labour had started reaching out to
their allies and those in the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Onyeka said that though not all members of the
organised labour would be at Friday’s meeting with the government, the
mobilisation would still continue.

He said that the plan was to seek audience
with all relevant CSOs for their support and effective participation in
the sensitisation strike scheduled for Jan. 8.

Mr John Johnson-Isok, an Iron
and Steel union member, said that various executive members of the
union were discussing modalities to make the strike effective, should
the government failed to accede to their demand.

“Our demand is clear; transmit the N30,000
recommended by the National Minimum Wage Committee to the National
Assembly for action, and we will wait for the lawmakers to take their
decision,’’ Johnson-Isok said.

NAN further gathered that the planned strike
may be all-encompassing, as the National Association of Nigerian
Students (NANS), whose undergraduate members from the public
universities, had been at home, may mobilise and join the action.

Mr Smith Olaitan, a student
union leader, said that the ongoing strike by Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) had paralysed academic activities in the
universities.

However, some workers, who spoke on condition
of anonymity, said that the planned strike at the beginning of the year,
would unleash hard times on Nigerians, unless averted.

The workers said that petroleum products,
foodstuffs, medical and transportation services, including aviation and
other essentials may be in short supply.

NAN reports that labour suspended its national
strike on the minimum wage about two months ago to enable the
government to take a decisive action on it.