The labour unions in Cross River have postponed the planned industrial action slated to commence on Wednesday after a breakdown of negotiations between the unions and the government.

The state chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Monday Ogbodum, disclosed to journalists in Calabar on Tuesday that the unions slated a two-day warning strike for November 25 and 26.

He said the decision for the warning strike was arrived at following the meeting of various organs of organised labour in the state on Tuesday.

Mr Ogbodum, however, said the government had again invited labour to reconvene on Thursday after they staged a walkout from the meeting of the Joint Public Service Negotiating and Implementation Committee on the new minimum wage on Monday.

“We have just concluded our meetings, and our agreement is that we will shelve the planned strike for Wednesday for a warning strike that will take place on Monday and Tuesday.

“As for the Thursday meeting, we will attend, and if they are still not bringing anything concrete to the table by Thursday, we will have no option but to embark on the national strike slated for December 1.

“But the warning strike will definitely take place on Monday and Tuesday.”

The labour unions had attributed government inaction towards the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage as the reason for their walkout.

“From the look of things, this same committee seems not ready for anything. We have heard from the grapevine that the government is not looking at commencing implementation until January 2025.

“Before now, he has assured us that he will implement whatever is agreed upon. As we speak, there is no sign of seriousness that the government is ready for the workers,” he said.

Also speaking on Monday, the NLC chairman in the state, Gregory Olayi, said labour staged a walkout because the government representative in the committee appeared not serious.

“In our last meeting on Thursday, they formed a technical committee, which we had expected would come up with something for us to discuss.

“They came empty and unprepared from the look of things, and we had to stage a walkout until they were prepared for us,” he said.

Mr Olayi said labour was meeting with all its organs in Cross River on Tuesday and that whatever decision on the organs would be followed.

(NAN)