Organised Labour Suspends Nationwide Strike Following Agreement with Federal Government
In a surprising turn of events, Organised Labour has decided to suspend its planned nationwide strike for a period of one month. The decision came after an agreement was reached between the labor unions and the Federal Government late at night. While the details of the Memorandum of Understanding have not been disclosed, it is believed that both parties have made significant concessions to reach a compromise.
The National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) held separate meetings to review the offers made by the government. After extensive discussions, a committee was formed to harmonize the resolutions of both unions. The joint resolution was then presented to the government team for further consideration.
However, frustration arose among labor leaders when the government team returned to the meeting at 8.15 pm. Despite the momentary setback, President Bola Tinubu agreed to a provisional wage award of N35,000, a significant increase from the initially proposed N25,000. The resolution also included the formation of a sub-committee to work out the details of government interventions aimed at cushioning the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
While progress is being made, urgent attention needs to be given to the issue of the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State. Both labor unions are demanding swift action from the government to address the challenges faced by their members.
The NLC and TUC will now carefully consider the offers put forward by the Federal Government before deciding whether to suspend the planned strike. In the meantime, the Joint Action Front (JAF) has commended the labor unions for their unwavering determination in fighting against the government’s policies. JAF recognizes the concessions made but emphasizes the need for a complete reversal of the fuel price hike and subsidy removal.
Expressing their concerns, JAF warns that suspending the strike prematurely would only temporarily delay the ongoing struggle against the government’s policies. They firmly believe that wage awards and palliatives alone are insufficient to address the root causes of the crisis.
With tensions still present and crucial decisions yet to be made, it remains to be seen how the labour unions and the Federal Government will navigate this delicate situation. Stay tuned for further updates on the outcome of the ongoing negotiations.
“Social media scholar. Reader. Zombieaholic. Hardcore music maven. Web fanatic. Coffee practitioner. Explorer.”