MOST civil servants working in Abuja, the nation’s capital resumed work on Wednesday, as organised labour ‘relaxed’ its indefinite nationwide strike on Monday.
The indefinite strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) was ‘relaxed’ for one-week, to allow for continuation of negotiations on the national minimum wage and electricity tariffs increase.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the strike, which was successful on Monday had paralysed the critical sectors of the economy.
NAN correspondent who monitored the resumption at the Federal Secretariat, however, observed that the level of compliance by the workers was encouraging.
NAN also observed that businesses within the Secretariat were booming including banking services.
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Some of the civil servants interviewed by NAN, said they were still hopeful of positive responses by the federal government over the minimum wage demands.
Mr Ibrahim Musa, said civil servants had no option than to obey the labour leaders’ directive on resumption, since they were the ones that ordered the strike in the first place.
Musa expressed optimism that there would be positive results at the end of the deliberation between the government and the organised labours before the expiration of the one-week relaxation of the strike.
“I strongly want to believe that President Bola Tinubu is a human being with human feelings, and he knows quite well the plight of the workers and other Nigerians over the economic situation at this present time in Nigeria.
“We don’t need to say much about the situation, it’s very clear to everyone one that it is hard for Nigerians and it’s only reasonable salaries that can give us a little hope,” he said.
Mrs Helen Kudirat appreciated the labour leaders for their efforts at ensuring that civil servants receive better wages.
She said it was a wise idea to relax the industrial actions for further negotiation with the government.
She, nevertheless, used the medium to appeal to the Federal Government to consider the fact that, many workers were the breadwinners in their families, hence the need for improved wages so as to cushion the effects of the hash economy.
“Someone like me, I know what I usually go through whenever I receive salary at the end of the month.
“I have to settle my younger ones in schools, my parents who are still alive, my children’s feeding, upkeep and school fees and other financial obligations, ” she explained.
Similarly, Mr Ebong Attah, said reasonable salaries for the civil servants would go a long way to reduce hardship in Nigeria.
According to Attah, a civil servant who is the breadwinner in the family receiving up to N500, 000 in a month could solve some problems in his immediate family and even among his extended family members.
“If for example, I get such money in a month, what stops me from sending my siblings to school, assisting a poor relative by giving him/her money to start-up businesses.
” You will agree with me that if civil servants are treated well by the government, there will be a multiplier effects in the society and it will go a long way to reduce poverty in Nigeria,” he said
Attah said he believed in the government of Tinubu, but urged the administration to create history in the nation’s civil service to reflect what was obtainable in other countries of the world.
According to Attah, enhanced welfare package for the civil servants, will contribute positively to the nation’s economy and as well enhance better working conditions of the workers.
NAN suspended their industrial action over a lack of consensus on a new minimum wage and the hike in the electricity tariff for one week for further negotiation with the F(NAN)
