Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to reconsider the planned statewide strike on Monday.
Mohammed issued the call on Saturday, following discussions with Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, and members of the Peoples Democratic Party National Working Committee.
The governor expressed fear that the walkout could destroy the economy and cause hardship for workers.
On Friday, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress called an indefinite strike to protest the Federal Government’s refusal to raise the recommended minimum salary from N60,000 and reverse the energy pricing hike.
The N has given the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Federal Government until May 31 to rescind the electricity pricing increase.
On April 3, NERC approved a rise in the energy cost for Band A users, from N66 to N225 per kWh. This decision provoked widespread outrage and calls for its reversal.
The NLC and TUC also established a May 31 deadline for the federal government to finalise the new national minimum wage.
However, the NLC and TUC rejected all ideas, insisting on N494,000 due to the high cost of living. Mohammed warned that continuing with the strike would plunge the country into “severe poverty.”
“I have always looked forward to ensuring that workers get the best in terms of welfare, in terms of salaries and wages, but it has to be affordable—something that is within the threshold of affordability by all the sub-national and local governments,” Mohammed said.
“Definitely, what the Federal Government will be negotiating, some state governors will not be able to pay. Even at the moment, with the current minimum wage of N30,000, some states are not able to pay.
“I know labour leaders are true leaders. They should consider this because the strike may cripple the economy and further cause pain to workers and all of us. So, we are pleading that we should have a combining point where we can look at our affordability,” he concluded.
