The Organised Labour has suspended its nationwide strike for five days to facilitate uninterrupted meetings with the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage.

The announcement came from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) president, Festus Osifo, on Tuesday in Abuja, following a joint extraordinary national executive council meeting of the unions. Osifo indicated that a communique detailing the discussions and agreements will be issued shortly.

The strike, initiated by the unions on Monday, was a protest against the recent hike in electricity tariffs and the ongoing lack of consensus on a new minimum wage. The industrial action significantly disrupted critical sectors of the economy, leading to the shutdown of schools, businesses, hospitals, and airports. Additionally, the national grid was shut down, plunging the nation into darkness.

The temporary suspension of the strike is expected to pave the way for productive negotiations, as the tripartite committee works towards resolving the contentious issues surrounding the national minimum wage.