IBADAN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The meeting between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Federal Government to avert an imminent strike action ended in a deadlock with another meeting scheduled for a later date.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, is also expected to meet with the representatives of the Trade Union Congress led by its national president, Festus Osifo, later today.
Following the NLC’s threat of indefinite strike action over what the Labour Centre tagged as “anti-poor” policies propagated by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, Lalong invited the unionists to a meeting in his office in Abuja on Monday.
According to The Punch, the meeting had in attendance senior officials of the ministry, the national president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, the general secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, national president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Titus Amba among others.
It was gathered that no concrete solution was made nor was any major decision reached at the end of the meeting.
During Monday’s meeting, Lalong promised to partner with organised labour to address the demands of the labour unions in a just and balanced way.
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He appealed to the labour leaders to be realistic and frank in the discussions.
The minister also expressed optimism that the meeting would lead to a resolution that is of national interest.
In his response, NLC President Joe Ajaero said his team was in the meeting with mixed feelings, to find out whether “something will happen or not,” as many similar meetings in the past had failed to yield a positive response.
He further noted that the past strikes that the minister referred to were a result of the frustration Nigerian workers faced due to the effects of the hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidies.
According to him, not one of the agreements with the Federal Government was addressed despite a series of meetings that were held.
Ajaero also vehemently condemned the invasion of the office of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), with some of its leaders arrested and detained.
According to him, that action alone is enough for the NLC to proceed with their planned strike.
The Punch had earlier reported how the NLC had shunned an earlier meeting arranged by the minister to avert an earlier two-day nationwide strike.