Obasanjo promises promised wage rises

An agreement between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the government was reached in the early hours of Tuesday, but many workers were still expected to stay away from work.

The NLC said the government asked for "time to prepare a supplementary budget for the consideration of the National Assembly immediately after the main budget has been signed".

The NLC called the strike after an agreed pay rise for civil servants in January was not included in the 2003 budget, which was passed by parliament but has not been signed into law by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Nigerian presidential elections are on 19 April, but the run-up to the vote has already been marred by violence.

Pay deal

A joint press release by the NLC and government said the two sides had agreed on the implementation of a 12.5% pay increase.

"Both sides agreed that that the proposed strike should be called off," the communique said.

The government had earlier threatened to use its armed forces to remove picket lines if the strike went ahead.

A strike could have further shutdown Nigeria's oil industry, which is already under-producing because of ethnic violence in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

The NLC is the umbrella group of Nigeria's trade unions.