Organized Labour Suspends Strike

The Organised Labour on Monday called off its planned industrial action scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 8.

The planned industrial action by the NLC in collaboration with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, is on a hold in order for the unions to further the negotiation with government over the announcement on subsidy removal. 

The suspension is part of the resolutions reached by the unions at the meeting with the federal government, late Monday after which a communique was jointly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, President, TUC, Festus Osifo, Secretary General, TUC, Nuhu Torò, NLC President, Joseph Ajaero, NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja mni, and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms Kachollom S. Daju. 

They resolved to continue engagements. 

“The Labour Centres and the Federal Government are to meet on June 19, 2023, to agree on an implementation framework.

Meanwhile, the Negotiating Committee, comprising the Federal Government, the TUC and the NLC, has agreed to establish a joint committee to review the proposal for any wage increase, establish a framework and timeline for implementation.

Among others, the committee is to review the World Bank Financed Cash transfer scheme and propose the inclusion of low-income earners in the program, revive the CNG conversion programme earlier agreed with Labour centres in 2021 and work out detailed implementation and timing.

The Labour centres and the Federal Government are to review issues hindering effective delivery in the education sector and propose solutions for implementation, establish the framework for the completion of the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries and provide a framework for the maintenance of roads and expansion of rail networks across the country.

In another development, the National Industrial Court, NIC, sitting in Abuja, on Monday, restrained the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, from going on with their planned industrial action billed for Wednesday in protest against FG's unilateral removal of fuel subsidy.

In a ruling delivered by Justice O. Y. Anuwe, the court barred the two unions from proceeding with the strike, pending the determination of a suit brought before it by the FG.

Among others, the court held that the interim order, as well as the substantive suit, should be immediately served on both the NLC and the TUC, which were cited as defendants/respondents in the suit marked: NICN/ABJ/158/2023. It subsequently fixed hearing on the matter on June 19.

The court order is coming on the heels of an ex-part motion filed by the FG through the Federal Ministry of Justice.