In a bid to avert the strike, President Bola Tinubu has approved N35,000 as the provisional wage increment for all treasury-paid federal government workers for the period of six months.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Malam Mohammed Idris disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

The approval followed the outcome of the meeting between the federal government and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to avert the proposed indefinite strike organised by the unions.

The NLC and TUC had directed their members across the country to mobilise for a “shutdown of the nation” on October 3 as a protest against the removal of the petrol subsidy and other issues.

However, Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff (CoS) to Tinubu, who chaired the meeting, said: “Going from the meeting with Labour today, President Bola Tinubu has agreed to increase the provisional wage award for all treasury-paid Federal Government workers to N35,000 for 6 months.”

It also announced the payment of N75,000 to 15 million households at N25,000 per month, for a three-month period from October to December.

But before the resolutions were reached, the labour had rejected the N25,000 provisional wage increment

The Federal Government pleaded with the Labour unions not to embark on strike action as the issues in dispute can only be resolved when workers are at work.

The NLC and the TUC leaders are to meet their organs today ( Monday) to discuss the outcome of their meeting with the Federal Government whether to embark on the proposed strike or call it off.