By Ifunanaya Eze
Efforts by the Federal Government to reach an agreement with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and avert an impending nationwide strike came to a conclusion on Monday without a concrete resolution to the union’s demands.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, engaged in discussions with NLC President Joe Ajaero and other leaders in Abuja. The aim of this meeting was to prevent organized labor from embarking on another industrial action.
Despite the talks, it has been announced that the meeting will continue at a later date.
Additionally, the Minister is scheduled to meet with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) today to further address the concerns.
The deadlock in negotiations arose from Minister Lalong’s invitation to the NLC for talks in response to the union’s planned nationwide strike, which was triggered by the removal of fuel subsidies and the prevailing hardship in the country.
It should be noted that an earlier invitation was extended to both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to discuss averting the two-day strike that occurred between September 5 and 6. However, only the TUC attended the meeting.
Addressing the concerns raised by the labor unions, Minister Lalong pledged to work in partnership with organized labor to address their demands in an equitable and just manner. He urged labor leaders to engage in realistic and open discussions.
The Minister expressed optimism that the ongoing dialogue would lead to a resolution that serves the national interest.
In response, NLC President Joe Ajaero conveyed a sense of uncertainty during the meeting, acknowledging that similar past discussions had failed to yield positive outcomes. He emphasized that previous strikes resulted from the frustrations faced by Nigerian workers due to the hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.
Ajaero pointed out that despite numerous meetings with the Federal Government, none of the agreements reached in the past had been addressed. He strongly condemned the recent invasion of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) office, which resulted in the arrest and detention of some of its leaders. According to him, this action alone provides ample reason for the NLC to proceed with their planned strike.
The outcome of these ongoing talks will be closely monitored as both sides seek a resolution to the labor issues and the impending strike action.