Despite moves by the federal government to stave off the proposed nationwide warning strike, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday evening shunned the meeting called by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The meeting, which was convened by the minister of labour and employment, Simon Lalong, to discuss a possible way out without strike, commenced at about 5:30pm without any representative of the NLC. Only the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by its national president, Festus Osifo, showed up for the meeting.
Earlier yesterday morning, the minister appealed to the organised labour to shelve the strike but checks by the LEADERSHIP showed that many affiliates of the NLC and some state councils had concluded mobilisation processes, signifying the strike will go on today.
Lalong said that the government was working to address the concerns of the labour movement and the Nigerian people, and asked for more time for it to implement the necessary palliative measures and address other issues raised by the labour centre.
He also assured Nigerian workers that the government would never take them for granted nor fail to appreciate their support and understanding, adding that in the coming weeks, additional palliative measures will be announced by the federal government.
He expressed worry that the strike could reverse the gains already made by the government in securing a better future for Nigerian workers and citizens.
Lalong, who briefed journalists at the end of the meeting with the TUC leadership in Abuja, asked for a period of two weeks to holistically address issues of palliatives.
He sad, “On the subsidies movement, especially on palliatives and so many hanging issues that we already discussed with Mr President, which we are going to carry over from here, so now, give us a period of about two weeks, so that we can address those issues and bring them back again for further discussion.
“In those issues that we discussed, there are some that are very urgent, there are others that will require a long span of time and this was the basis of our discussion.”
“We all agreed that there will be no strike between this period of the two weeks’ time while we are doing our deliberations and also working towards realising some of these objectives.”
Lalong listed issues on the front burner to include the implementation of the palliatives, the RTEAN issue in Lagos, the $70 billion proposed fund for funding of the SMEs, the issue of the wage award proposed by Mr. President.
“These are what we are going to, among other things, deliberate on so that we hear the voice of federal government on some of these issues”, the minister added.
Meanwhile, TUC leadership said the need to embark on a nationwide strike on the issue of subsidy palliatives had not arisen.
TUC national president, Comrade Festus Osifo said the congress would rather intensify its conversation with government so that all grey areas identified could be ironed out.
In a communique earlier issued at the end of the TUC national executive council (NEC), Osifo said at the end of the time frame, the congress would no longer guarantee industrial harmony.
TUC therefore urged the government to do the needful to avoid a situation where the TUC, its affiliates and allies would be compelled to confront the government.
Speaking further at the end of the meeting with the federal government, Osifo said, “We are here and we’ve gone through some of the issues that we raised in the communique that emanated from the NEC of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria yesterday
“So after all the deliberations, we were pushing that these things could be resolved within seven days, but also listening to the constraints from government. Again, we also need to be pragmatic.”
Aviation Unions won’t enforce NLC Strike due to ICAO’S Audit
The general secretary of Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Abdulrazak Saidu, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said the association will join the strike action but it won’t be enforced.
According to him, the strike won’t be enforced because of the ongoing International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO’s) audit at the nation’s airports.
He stated that any workers that wish to stay off work would be allowed but the airport won’t be shut down.
“The strike action won’t be enforced because of the ongoing ICAO’s audit at the airport but any worker who decides to stay off work would be allowed,” he stated.
Banks, Insurance Companies To Join Strike
Following plans by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to embark on strike, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) says its members will join the two-day strike.
The industrial action planned by the NLC, scheduled to start today, is to protest the hike in petrol pump price, and electricity tariff, alongside other issues.
The congress also said the government had failed to implement some of the resolutions reached at previous meetings. NUBIFIE, in a statement signed by its general secretary, Mohammed Sheikh, directed all members to stay off duty during the two-day strike.
The directive, it said, is imperative to get the needed attention of the government and warn it off its new found love of meddling in the internal affairs of unions rather than addressing the punishing economic circumstances.
“We hereby direct all our organs to comply with this directive by ensuring all our members stay off duty for the two days,” the statement pointed out.
Commenting on the union’s resolve to join the strike today, president, NUBIFIE, Abakpa Anthony, said members of the bank and insurance companies were also being affected by the economic hardship.
Address root causes of strike, Falana tells FG
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has expressed concerns over the ongoing impasse between the government and labour leaders, even as he stressed the need for the government to address the root causes of the strike promptly.
Despite initial attempts at dialogue, Falana noted that the government has yet to present a viable solution to the prevailing issues
He remarked that, apart from the government’s palliative measures, nothing has been done, and the people are still facing hardships and expressing their discontent.
Falana highlighted that both federal and state governments had previously reached an agreement to raise the minimum wage alongside the removal of the fuel subsidy. However, he observed that little progress had been made on these fronts.
Labour leaders, according to Falana, had taken it upon themselves to champion the rights of workers and citizens. Notably, he said they had chosen not to resort to street protests this time, raising questions about the necessity of other protests and rallies that could disrupt the peace.
In a call for action, Mr. Falana urged the government to engage in urgent discussions with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to find a resolution to the ongoing issues. He also cautioned against threats directed at labour leaders, underlining that they are not currently engaged in street protests.
He said, “Labour Leaders are not protesting on the street this time, so the question that some people are protesting and organising rally to disturb the peace is not a thing this time.
“The government should address the problem that is leading to the strike and it can be done tonight. The government should have a sleepless night to work out with the chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum to address this problem tonight.”
Reps postpone job racketeering probe over strike
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating job racketeering among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) has adjourned sittings from Tuesday to Thursday this week.
This is consequent upon the planned industrial action by the Organised Labour taking place between Tuesday and Thursday.
Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi who disclosed this at the resumed sitting of the panel on Monday, said the postponement was to enable all the MDAs invited to make their presentations.
The Ad-hoc Committee had during last Friday‘s hearing, vowed to resist any attempt to distract the Ad-hoc Committee from carrying out its mandates.
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