The federal government has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to shelve its planned strike scheduled to start next Wednesday, saying it was doing everything possible to address issues raised by the labour movement, on the removal of fuel subsidy.
The appeal came against the backdrop of the Wednesday strike notice served by the labour movement, which gave the federal government a 7-day ultimatum to address what it described as anti-people policies or face industrial action.
Speaking after the Steering Committee meeting on Palliatives, the leader of the government team and Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, who was flanked by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju, pleaded with labour to give the federal government more time to look into its grievances, rather than embark on industrial action.
She explained that the government was yet to roll out palliatives because it didn’t want to make mistakes, adding that the meeting with organised labour was productive and would continue Wednesday.
Asked about the agenda of the meeting, she said: “It involves labour and some parts of government, it’s a steering committee. it’s a wide group of people, a wide group of stakeholders representing the interests of Nigerians. And we’ve agreed to continue to make progress.
“It was a very productive meeting, the focus was really around how we fast-track a lot of the interventions that will bring relief, particularly around CNG, mass transportation, cleaner energy, transportation, and reduce the impact of the cost of transportation, the increased cost of transportation. So we’ve made good progress. And we’re going to continue to do so and so that we can start rolling out these opportunities and these relief measures as quickly as possible.”
Asked if Labour will not embark on strike as threatened, she said: “The labour unions will speak to that. But we are making progress; we’re trying to address the issues that will prevent a strike. So that is essentially why I feel we made very good progress today and will continue to do so.”
However, the NLC had directed all its affiliates and state councils to immediately begin mobilization of workers and other Nigerians, including civil society allies, for a long lasting strike and mass protests should the government fail to meet its demands.
NLC in a communiqué at the end of its Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting held Tuesday, July 25, at Labour House, Abuja, also demanded the immediate inauguration of the Presidential Steering Committee as agreed in the earlier consequential dialogues.
The communiqué signed by President and General Secretary of NLC, Joe Ajaero and Emma Ugboaja, respectively, said the CWC-in-session demanded “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers and increase in VAT.”
It also resolved “to give the federal government a seven-day ultimatum within which to meet all our demands and to embark on a nationwide action beginning Wednesday, August 2, 2023, to compel the government to reverse its anti-poor and anti-workers policies.”
The communiqué informed that NLC “direct all affiliates and state councils to begin immediate mobilization and closely work with associations, individuals and other entities including the ones already on the streets to ensure that government listens to the people.”
Punch / Titilayo Kupoliyi
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