The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has dismissed as laughable a comment credited to Senate President Godswill Akpabio to the effect that the nationwide strike over minimum wage increment was sabotage.
The NLC said if there is anybody sabotaging the country, accusing fingers should be pointed at corrupt politicians and not workers fighting for their rights.
In a statement on Wednesday, NLC said it acted within its constitution, stating that “Strikes are not only legal but a civic duty and a critical tool for holding those in authority and power accountable.”
Condemning Mr Akpabio’s criticism of nationwide strikes as “economic sabotage,” NLC said “For the past 25 years, the political elite willfully sabotaged Nigeria through acts of corruption and abuse of power, not the workers. The true economic saboteurs are those looting national resources, not the labour force.’’
A nationwide strike by NLC and its affiliate unions on Monday left schools, hospitals, airports, government ministries and agencies shutdown.
With economic and commercial activities disrupted across the country on Monday, the federal government called the NLC and its affiliate unions for further negotiations, begging them to end the strike.
The NLC suspended the strike after the government committed to paying above 60,000.
