Strike: FG invites NLC again

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has received a second invitation from the federal government to a meeting over its upcoming indefinite strike, Simon Lalong,Minister of Labour and Employment, said in a statement.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Lalong summoned the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for a meeting on September 4 in order to prevent the previous two-day nationwide warning strike and only the TUC attended the conference.

Lalong stated that he had ordered the meeting with the NLC leadership to be held on Monday by the Department of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations.

In order to prevent more economic disruption, he said it was crucial for the unions to meet with the government and discuss any outstanding issues.
“The administration of President Bola Tinubu will always engage the organised labour and respond to its concerns after due consultation and negotiations.“This is in order to guarantee industrial harmony which is critical to the attainment of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Lalong said.In a statement released on September 1st, the NLC National Executive Council also threatened to go on an indefinite strike within 21 days of the statement’s release.According to NAN, the NLC and the TUC are requesting, among other things, salary awards, the adoption of palliatives, tax exemptions and allowances for employees of the public sector, and a reassessment of the minimum wage.

The eight-week period set aside for the process’ completion lapsed in August with absolutely no activity taken, despite the FG’s pledge to reorganise the framework for dialogue with organised Labour on palliatives.

The committees had eight weeks to complete their work and speed the framework’s implementation to lessen the impact of the elimination of the fuel subsidy on Nigerians. However, even after the allotted time had passed, the subcommittees had not yet met or carried out their assigned tasks.
The subcommittees were established to implement the palliative package from the FG in areas such cash transfers, the social investment programme, the cost of governance, energy, mass transit, and housing.

This was a result of the President’s private meeting with the NLC and TUC leadership during a massive orchestrated labour protest that took place nationally.