Nigerian Unions in Talks on 2nd Day of Strike
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Nigerian union leaders on Tuesday held talks over a government offer to increase the minimum wage on the second day of a nationwide strike that has disrupted flights and closed down public offices.
The stoppage called by two main unions, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), comes as Africa's most populous nation struggles with soaring inflation and an unstable naira currency.
On Monday, union workers shut down the national power grid, stalled domestic flights and closed most federal offices, ports, petrol stations and courts to demand the government increase its wage offer of 60,000 naira ($40) a month.
Late on Monday, the government said the unions had agreed to a week of negotiations to reach an agreement over the minimum wage.
Labor leaders were in discussions with their member unions over the offer on Tuesday.
Unions have been demanding 494,000 naira (around $330) as a monthly wage, up from the current level of 30,000 naira.
The unions are also protesting an electricity tariff hike, one of the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Since coming to office a year ago, Tinubu has ended a fuel subsidy and currency controls, leading to a tripling of petrol prices and a spike in living costs as the naira has slid against the dollar.