*As FG invites Labour for meeting today

By Victor Ahiuma-Young & Temitope Titilope

LESS than a week to the planned three-day warning strike by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to compel the government to implement the N18.000 new minimum wage, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and one of the civil society allies of organised labour, the Democratic Socialist Movement, DSM, have thrown their weight behind the action scheduled for November 10 – 12.

This came as indication emerged that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, has invited the leaders of the two labour union, NLC and TUC, for a meeting with the aim to apprehend the planned strike.

Vanguard gathered that the meeting, which is expected to be chaired by the Minister of Labour, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, will take place today in Abuja.

It would be recalled that NLC at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting last Wednesday, gave  the government up to November 9, 2010, to initiate process of implementating the new minimum wage, failing which it would declare a three-day nationwide warning strike between November 10 and 12.

While leaders of TUC at an emergency Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting in Lagos, resolved to join forces with NLC to ensure a total and effective three-day warning strike, DSM called for mobilisation and sensitisation of Nigerians for strike, as well as immediate meeting of Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO, to coordinate the planned action.