Planned strike: TUC, NLC call for NEC meeting, reconsider FG offers

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Sunday agreed to consider the offers by the federal government with a view to suspending the planned strike scheduled for Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

The agreement was reached at a meeting between the organised labour and the federal government chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Minister of Information and National Orientation Mr. Mohammed Idris said in a statement after the meeting the two parties agreed the issues in dispute can only be resolved when workers are at work and not when they are on strike.

He said the organised labour stressed the need for a higher wage award, and that the federal government team promised to present the request to President Bola Tinubu for further consideration.

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The minister said the two parties also agreed that a sub-committee should be constituted to work out the details of implementation of all items for consideration regarding government interventions to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

He said the meeting also agreed that the lingering matter between the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos state needs to be addressed urgently.

According to the minister, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state, who participated virtually, pledged to resolve the matter.

Governor AbdulRazak AbdulRahman of Kwara state and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, participated virtually in the meeting.

He said the N25,000 provisional wage increment announced by the President would be for all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months.

He said the government was committed to fast-tracking the provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to ease public transportation difficulties associated with the removal of the PMS subsidy.

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He said the government was also committed to the provision of funds for micro and small-scale enterprises.

He said VAT on diesel would be waived for the next six months.

In attendance were the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan; National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun; Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Abubakar  Atiku Bagudu; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Mrs Betta Edu; and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite.

The labour delegation was led by NLC President, Joe Ajaero; Deputy President of TUC, Dr Tonny Etim Okon; NLC General Secretary, Mr. Emma Ugboaja, and TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, among others.