The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has refuted claims made by the Ministry of Labour and Employment that an agreement had been reached to suspend its planned strike.
Benson Upah, the Head of Information and Public Affairs for NLC, clarified the union’s position in a statement issued on Tuesday, News About Nigeria understands.
Upah stated that there was no agreement with the government to halt the impending strike, nor was there a scheduled meeting with the government that might lead to such a suspension. He emphasized that the matter transcends the Ministry and should have been apparent during their most recent meeting.
While acknowledging the Minister’s role in securing the release of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) executives from unlawful police detention, the NLC took issue with the Ministry’s characterization of these executives as factional leaders.
According to NLC, these executives were lawfully elected into office, and they called on the police and those responsible for their problems to cease such conduct and retrace their steps.
The statement concluded with a call for the preservation of democratic values, emphasizing the need to resist the temptation of impunity, stating, “Enough is enough.”
The NLC’s insistence on the impending strike and its criticism of the Ministry’s statements stresses the continued tension between labour unions and the government of President Bola Tinubu.
The labour unions have been demanding improved working conditions, increased wages, and better governance, which has led to various strike actions and negotiations in recent times.
The recent disagreement has once more, proved the challenge of finding common ground between the federal government and labour unions.
