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Planned strike: NLC keeps Federal Govt in suspense
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has kept the government in suspense hours to expiration of its 14 days strike notice.
The strike plan, according to the NLC, is to express displeasure over the painful effects of the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government.
Although, the Federal Government, has given N2 billion each as first installment of the total N5 billion to states for purchase of food items and fertilizers for Nigerians as palliatives for the subsidy pain.
The government has also announced other cushioning measures.
But the NLC is not persuaded. It carried out a two-day warning strike, which recorded mixed compliance.
Yesterday, Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong and Minister of State (Employment and Labour) Nkiruka Onyejeocha met with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the proposed strike.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume also met with the Vice President.
At the end of the meeting, they all expressed optimism that the NLC will shelve the strike “in the nation’s interest”.
Leaders of NLC kept themselves incommunicado in Abuja as reporters made efforts to find out their moves on the strike.
Lalong expressed optimism that the “cordiality and friendly mood” of the engagements between government and the organised Labour so far, is an indication that the strike will not hold.
The Minister, who declined to give a categorical answer on whether the strike will proceed on not, said “as for me I don’t think there is any problem. We’re moving very fine with them, with the Nigerian labour and posture of the President too is towards good welfare for the Labour in Nigeria, so we have no doubt.
“That’ why in many of the meetings we’ve had with them we are not ending up boxing ourselves, we were smiling, all of us, with hope that the best is going to come”, he said.
When asked about the strike, he said “which strike? We’re still… No, don’t worry about it. That’s why I said it’s a friendly engagement we’re having with them. We didn’t have any fear about some of the things”.
When asked if the Federal Government had obtained any assurance from the organised Labour that the planned strike would be shelved, Lalong said “I don’t want to say that, I’m not the NLC President.
Onyejeocha added “there’s nothing to say, we have answered you on exactly what we are here for and so that’s what it is. We’re continuing to discuss with our brothers and sisters and that’s what it is”.
Also Akume expressed optimism that the organised Labour would be reasonable in its actions as a strike in the current state would be in no one’s interest.
Expressing the belief that issues concerning the strike would be addressed amicably, he called on the organized labour to be patient as the government finds solution to their demands.
“The Labour leaders are very patriotic Nigerians and we want to believe correctly that nobody would want to have a strike at this time of our history because it is not in the interest of the workers and it is not in the interest of anybody.
“This government is very determined to raise the standard of living of the Nigerian workers and to create prosperity for all and that is not something that can be done overnight. So it will be inappropriate to begin to judge the government on the basis of the few months that it has spent in office,” Akume stated.
It was learnt yesterday from various state councils of the NLC that there had been no directive to proceed on strike from the National Secretariat.