Iran Press/Africa: The strike began a day after talks between President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and unions broke down. It is intended to raise pressure on authorities to produce a minimum wage proposal.
According to AFP, The unions demand that the government triple the monthly minimum wage from 18,000 naira to somewhere between 45,000 and 65,000 naira ($125-$180).
"There are clear signs that the government is not ready for a new national minimum wage,” NLC president Ayuba Wabba said.
“A mother of all strikes” would be called if the government did not react positively to the demands, he said, suggesting the current walk-out may last seven days.
Labor Minister Chris Ngige has however called for a truce, stating that talks would resume on October 4 with representatives from all of the country's 36 states.
Demands for a raise come after Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari recently pledged to revise the minimum salary following more than two years of rising fuel prices and national currency devaluation.
The strike further pressures the incumbent president's plans to run for a second term in office as opposition candidates seek to unseat Buhari by attacking his economic policies.
The Nigerian economy remains fragile as it has recently made its way out of recession. The country struggles to maintain economic growth but is susceptible to backpedaling, according to a Tuesday report by the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
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