Senate President Godswill Akpabio says the decision of organised labour to shut down the national grid was more of an act of economic sabotage than agitation for a new minimum wage.

Akpabio stated this on Tuesday, June 4, on the floor of the senate after a motion sponsored by Diket Plang, senator representing Plateau Central, on the indefinite strike by the labour.

Organised Labour on Monday, June 3, began an indefinite nationwide strike over the government’s failure to fix a new minimum wage for workers. The organized Labour as part of measures to ensure the success of its strike shut down the national grid throwing the nation into total darkness.

During plenary today, the Senate President said the disruption of the ongoing West African School Certificate Examination (WAEC) by the strike “was bad”.

“One of such excesses was the shutdown of the national grid, which is more of an economic sabotage than agitation for a new minimum wage. The disruption of hajj flights by some other labour unionists as said by the deputy president of the senate, is also not palatable as a religious exercise. Disruption or prevention of students from writing their West African School Certificate Examination by some labour unionists during the strike was bad because the examination is not organised by Nigeria but by West African countries.”

The senate president then went on to commend Labour for calling off the strike to allow for negotiations.