Nigeria’s unions suspend strike

Many workers in Lagos stayed at home on Wednesday, while some joined union rallies

Nigeria’s two largest unions have agreed to suspend their three-day strike after one day’s stoppage.

Union leaders said the government had assured them the monthly national minimum wage would go up to $120 (£75).

But union leaders said they would meet again in a month’s time to review progress on the issue.

The strike has disrupted flights and activities in schools, offices and hospitals in major towns and cities across Africa’s most populous nation.

The BBC’s Caroline Duffield in Lagos says union leaders met as the nationwide strike brought government offices to a halt on Wednesday.

There has been panic buying and long queues at petrol stations amid fears of fuel shortages.

President Goodluck Jonathan reportedly pleaded with the unions to limit this strike to one day only, she says.

Union leaders were demanding that the government honour the national minimum agreement made in 2009.

Inflation has been running at double-digit rates in recent years, driven by increases in food and transportation costs.

The minimum wage has not risen for a decade.

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