Palliatives: FEC Ratifies Agreement Between Federal Govt, Organised Labour

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given its approval to the agreement reached between the Federal Government and organised Labour on October 3, 2023 on series palliative measures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on workers and Nigerians.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Monday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.

Lalong said the agreement was presented to the Council for ratification.

Lalong stated, “We presented a memo on the arrangement of the agreements between the government and Labour, addressing about 15 or 14 items.

“We analyzed each aspect of the agreement to ensure genuineness and harmonious industrial relations.”

He explained that the agreements included the filing of one part in a court of law, which had already commenced, and the other part required presidential approval, which was granted by the Federal Executive Council.

Lalong further emphasised that there was an understanding that within 30 days, there must be evidence of implementation.

“This was the basis for presenting it to the Federal Executive Council, and they approved the implementation,” he noted.

In response to a question regarding the alleged government interference in the leadership crisis rocking the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lalong clarified that, “The sixth item was about interference, specifically with issues related to Road Transport Workers and RTEAN.

“We have initiated meetings between the two organizations and are making progress.”

He continued, “Last week, we engaged with NURTW, but the meeting was postponed to ensure a thorough resolution.

“We presented these items to the Federal Executive Council to obtain approval to handle conflicts within the Ministry of Labour and Employment.”