In a development which is sure to elicit mixed reactions of disappointment in some quarters and relief in others, Organised Labour under the two major umbrellas of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress has suspended the strike action which it had earlier scheduled to begin tomorrow Wednesday.
The notice of the strike action by organized labour which came on the heels of Government’s removal of subsidy on petrol had announced tomorrow as commencement date of the strike action.
However, the latest development follows the discussions between the labour bodies and the federal Government hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who was recently appointed as Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
Some of the resolutions reached at the meeting include setting up of a joint committee to review the proposal for any wage increase; the need to include low-income earners in the World Bank Financed Cash Transfer programme; the revival of the CNG conversion program for implementation; review and establishment of frame work for completion of the rehabilitation of refineries.
It is on the basis of these resolutions and a few others that the parties agreed that labour suspends the notice of strike forthwith to enable further consultations as well as continue on-going engagements with the Federal Government.
Another meeting has been fixed for June 19th 2023, two weeks from now where an implementation framework will be agreed upon.
The signatories to the resolution dated 5th June, 2023 on the labour side are: the Presidents of the NLC and the TUC, Comrades Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo respectively, the General Secretaries of the two Congresses, Comrades Emmanuel Ugboaja and Nuhu Toro respectively while on the Federal Government side the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Productivity Ms. Kachollom Daju and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila appended their signatures.
It is worthy of note that the Speaker was highly instrumental to the suspension of ASUU’s eight-month strike last year. It is therefore hoped that a full and early resolution of the crisis which was provoked by the removal of subsidy on petroleum might be in the offing since it is a clear fact that he has the ears of Mr. President.