Breaking News: Why We Called Off Today's Strike - NLC and TUC Unveil Reasons

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Two major labour unions in Nigeria, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have announced the suspension of the strike they commenced on Monday.

The unions declared this decision after concluding discussions with their leaders today, Tuesday, in Abuja.

The labour unions initiated the strike following a deadlock in negotiations with the federal government regarding the minimum wage for workers in Nigeria.

Shortly after the meeting, the labour unions stated that they called off the strike to expedite ongoing negotiations with the government concerning the minimum wage, which is the primary issue causing the dispute.

The meeting held by the leaders of NLC and TUC on Tuesday focused on the agreement reached between the unions and the government during a session with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The strike had impacted various sectors of Nigeria's economy, including causing nationwide power outages.

Earlier on Tuesday, the union announced that the strike would continue until the union leaders concluded negotiations on the agreement reached between the union and the government. The Deputy President of the NLC, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir, told the BBC that the committee responsible for drafting the new minimum wage was given seven days to finalize discussions with the labour unions and other stakeholders on setting the new minimum wage.

"On our part, we have pledged to convene a General Council meeting, which includes these unions (NLC and TUC), to deliberate and reach a resolution," he said.

Regarding the electricity issue, the NLC stated that the National Assembly had passed a resolution requesting the electricity tariff be reverted to its previous rate.

Comrade Minjibir mentioned that the members of the National Assembly assured they would continue to monitor to ensure their directive is implemented by the executive branch.