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  • NLC and TUC’s unionism by hypocrisy

    NLC and TUC’s unionism by hypocrisy

    • By Jude Ndukwe

    The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, embarked on a nationwide strike on Tuesday November 14, and after the intervention of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, called it off two days later. 
    The reasons for the strike according to labour leaders was the needless brutalisation of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero and other labour leaders in Imo State on November 1, by people suspected to be agents of government who were averse to the mission of the labour leaders in the state; outstanding salary arrears owed Imo workers, unjust declaration of 11,000 workers in the state as ghost employees, unsettled gratuities, non-compliance with N30,000 Minimum Wage Act, and declaration of 10,000 pensioners as ghost retirees.
    While one might be tempted to view the labour leaders’ mission in Imo State as pristine, the underlying factors are what give them out as hypocrites who have politicised unionism to achieve parochial political interests.
    It is believed in some quarters, and perhaps rightly so, that the timing of the actions of the labour leaders in Imo State was tailored to coincide with the November 11 governorship election in the state so as to discredit the incumbent, APC’s Hope Uzodinma and shore up the ratings of Labour Party’s Athan Achonu before the voting public. That seems to be the crux of the whole shenanigan by the labour leaders. The other issues surrounding workers’ welfare in the state were just a smokescreen which Ajaero and his cohorts deployed to suit their narratives and justify their actions.
    This is so because the current leadership of NLC and TUC have paraded themselves unapologetically like a people in bed with the Labour Party since the run up to the last general elections till now. To them, any political party that is not Labour Party must be discredited in any state where they have any glimmer of hope of winning election especially in the southeast.
    Their last mission to Imo State was certainly not in public interest but in party interest. It was the basest politicisation and weaponisation of unionism in the history of our nation. 
    This is not to justify the unleashing of thugs to dehumanise anybody not to talk of leaders of unions as ubiquitous as the NLC and TUC. Such attacks only aggravate rather than alleviate issues. It should never have happened. It further widens the schism between government and workers and can be used as an excuse by workers to foreclose any form of dialogue with government. Such brutalisation belong in the stone age and should not be witnessed in our society governed by laws. Every citizen irrespective of their affiliations and views deserve government protection and where one is suspected to be going over the line, there are laid down procedures to rein in such a person rather than resort to self-help. Two wrongs do not make a right!
    Having said that, it is pertinent to state that one wonders where Joe Ajaero and his team were when the governor of Abia State, Alex Otti sacked about 10,000 workers in one fell swoop for no good reason other than that they were employed by the previous administration? The careers of many senior civil servants including directors have been cut short with suspensions and forced retirements under cloudy circumstances. And even at that, Abia workers who escaped being sacked have had their salaries slashed significantly leading to several protests by pockets of workers in the state including a time they had to block the office of the state’s accountant-general to drive home their points.
    At some point, pensioners also had to cry out against the ill-treatment meted out to them by the Alex Otti’s administration. 
    In all of these, Ajaero pretended like he was no longer the president of NLC and abdicated his responsibilities to Abia workers by turning blind eyes and deaf ears to the workers’ plight simply because Otti runs a government of the Labour Party. To Ajaero and his team, Otti’s inhuman treatments of workers cannot be challenged as long as the government is not run by the PDP or APC. To them, everything LP is perfect even if their members, the workers are being grossly short-changed.
    This practise of unionism by hypocrisy took a turn for the worse when Ajaero led his team to Imo State to protest against the governor, Uzodimma for alleged industrial breaches far less in magnitude and effect than those committed by Otti in Abia State. The timing of the planned industrial action in Imo State on the eve of a crucial governorship election was a well-planned but failed political move by leadership of the labour unions and the Labour Party which they have sympathy for to diminish Uzodimma’s ratings before the workers who form a critical mass of electorate in the state. 
    To further give credence to this shenanigan, Alex Otti had in the run up to the November 11 governorship election in Imo State brazenly ordered Uzodimma to prepare his handover note to the candidate of Labour Party, Achonu. His plans as the only governor of Labour Party in the entire country was clear: deploy the same strategy used in Abia for the Imo State election. 

    Read Also: Nigeria loses $500 yearly to cybercrimes, says Senate

    In the run up to the March 18 governorship election in Abia, labour unions in the state were allegedly compromised and used by the Labour Party to instigate workers against the then state government led by the PDP, to discredit that administration so as to pave the way for the election of Labour Party’s Alex Otti. 
    The same strategy was planned for Imo State with Joe Ajaero appointed to lead the charge. Unfortunately for him, Imolites do not accept such extraneous interferences in their election processes. It did not end well for him and his team. 
    The subsequent nationwide strike action by NLC and TUC was just a face-saving measure by the unions. The other issues given as reasons for the action were mere appendages used to pull the wool over the people’s eyes.
    Such politicisation of unionism in our clime should come to an end forthwith if the unions were to regain the kind of respect Nigerians had for them in the not-too-distant past having contributed in no small measure to the end of military dictatorship in Nigeria. Their value before Nigerians, it will seem to discerning Nigerians, has been on a consistent downward slide since the emergence of the Fourth Republic. Ajaero and other leaders of workers’ unions in the country have a lot of work to do to regain the confidence of the people as unions that truly represent and pursue the interests of Nigerian workers everywhere irrespective of party affiliation or such other parochial considerations. They must be consistent with their struggle and stop being selective in their fight to improve the overall welfare of workers. They must not be seen to be fighting for the welfare of workers in Imo State simply because a certain Hope Uzodinma of the APC is the governor while they ignore an even worse plight of workers in Abia State simply because a certain Alex Otti of the Labour Party is the governor.
    NLC and TUC should respect the age-long saying that what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. Anything other than that is unionism by hypocrisy, and that will lead to a gradual driving of the nail into the coffins of the unions. 
    •Ndukwe sent this piece from Abuja.

  • Curtailing excesses of NLC and TUC

    Curtailing excesses of NLC and TUC

    Sir: There is danger ahead in the country if the excesses of the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) are not curtailed. It is disheartening that the associations, which ordinarily are meant to protect the interest of a section of Nigerian workers, can brazenly disobey court orders and boast about doing it.

    This suggests that either the country has degenerated into a banana republic or that there is no leadership at the centre. It is either one or the other. The NLC led by Joe Ajaero and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo have vowed to make the country ungovernable for President Bola Tinubu.

    Right from the time the Tinubu-led government was sworn in; it has been one threat of strike after another against the federal government. No effort by the federal government has pacified the two union leaders to recognise that what the presidency needs now is total support from every Nigerian and every institution that wants the country to move forward and not confrontation.

    While the president was in Saudi Arabia trying to convince potential investors that Nigeria is a haven for investment, Ajaero and Osifo were busy trying to cripple the economy through a senseless strike.

    Particularly damning is for labour leaders to come to the fore to tell the nation’s judiciary that their orders are meaningless. They did this by defying the interim injunction of the National Industrial Court which directed them to maintain the status quo over their planned strike.

    Read Also: NLC faction asks unpaid Imo workers, pensioners to submit details

    And what was the matter? The belligerent Ajero travelled to Owerri, Imo State to mobilize the state workers against the state government over alleged unpaid salaries. The move was days before the Imo governorship election. Before his voyage to Imo State, there was a court order stopping any planned strike, but Ajaero, who has turned himself into law, would not care about any injunction. Although unfortunate, that he was dealt with, is the reward for his lawless action.

    Unless the federal government wields the big stick against the leadership of the unions, we should not be surprised to wake up one day to find out that Ajaero and Osifo have mobilised some gullible Nigerians to revolt against the government.

    That the two unions have turned themselves into an arm of the ‘Obidient’ movement of Peter Obi cannot be doubted. It is obvious that what Ajaero’s LP has failed to achieve through the ballot box and law courts, they now want to realize through open confrontation with the federal government.  Ajaero might as well do well and resign from his job as a trade unionist and go into full-time politics.

    •Ifeonu Okolo,

    Asaba, Delta State.

  • NLC, TUC, rule of law

    NLC, TUC, rule of law

    Following the November 1 Joe Ajaero assault and battery in Owerri, Imo State, the two Labour centres, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), threatened a national shutdown from November 14, if their Imo demands were not met.

    On November 10, Justice Benedict Kanyip, the sitting judge on the ex-parte request against the threatened strike, which the Federal Government had brought to the National Industrial Court (NIC), ordered that the strike be put off, until all parties argued their cause before the court.

    Justice Kanyip, who is also the president of NIC, ruled: “An order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the defendants/respondents, their members, their agents, employees, workmen, servants, proxies or affiliates from embarking on the planned industrial action and of strike of any nature, pending the hearing and determination of the claimant/applicant’s motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions.”

    The NIC warned that there would be consequences should the order be disobeyed.

    The strike went on anyway, with NLC/TUC grounding the country for two days, though compliance levels differed from place to place.  Festus Osifo, TUC president and arrow head of the strike, bragged that Labour was shunning the order because the government also always does.  Also recall that Ajaero’s Imo attack followed the NLC shunting aside an NIC order.

    Read Also: NPA  warns against illegal container stripping on port  roads

    It’s good that Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), intervened for Labour to call off the strike.  It’s also good that the NSA apologized to Labour for Ajaero’s beating.  It’s even better and re-assuring that those allegedly behind Ajaero’s thumping have been arrested, while investigations continue.  Rule of law! Due process!

    The same due process should now shift to both Ajaero and Osifo.  The NIC should summon both to explain their disobedience of its clear order, even with even a clearer caveat for sanctions.

    As Ajaero was thrashed in Owerri by those who like the victim took laws into their hands, the Federal Government could have rolled out legit force to enforce the NIC order; and many striking workers could have been in harm’s way.  That the Federal Government didn’t take laws in own hands, as Labour did, deserves praise.

    That is why Ajaero and Osifo must explain their actions to NIC.  If the court feels they are justified, fine.  Otherwise, they should face sanctions for that outlawry.  That is rule of law and due process.  

    We cannot lash against a lawless government but tolerate a lawless Labour.  Organized Labour cannot contemn the law that gives it lawful privilege to disrupt people’s investments, in pushing the right of its members.  

    It’s time NIC put its foot down — and firmly too.  You can’t repay legal rights with brazen anarchy, as Labour, under Ajaero and Osifo, has been doing.

  • NLC faction asks unpaid Imo workers, pensioners to submit details

    NLC faction asks unpaid Imo workers, pensioners to submit details

    A faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Ugochukwu Ofoegbu in Imo State has directed its members and pensioners who have not been paid their salaries to forward their details.

    The information will be passed on to the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, who is intervening in the Labour-state government face-off.

    Read Also: Oshiomhole right on Imo, Ajaero and NLC strike

    The notice signed by the NLC state secretary, Anukwuorji Nduka Peter, directed the “unpaid workers” to submit their names, phone numbers, establishment, grade level and months owed them to the NLC state secretariat with immediate effect.

    The Joe Ajaero-led NLC had claimed that the Imo government owed arrears of salaries and pensions to over 10,000 people.

  • Critical notes for NLC President

    Critical notes for NLC President

    “”Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.” … A Chinese Military General, Strategist, Philosopher, and writer

    I wish to speak with you as a fellow citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as I consider it my civic responsibility to reach out to you. I am also speaking directly with you because I believe that the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) and its umbrella bodies are critical stakeholders and veritable levers that should keep the Government in check, hold the Government to account, and provide constructive engagements and counter-balance in ensuring the delivery of good governance in Nigeria. 

     However, I believe that organized Labor should be the voice of Nigerian workers in line with the principles of collective bargaining and the overall welfare of the entire Nigerian workforce while supporting the Government to deliver its mandate. Therefore, I am of the view that the NLC is not an opposition to the Government but a critical stakeholder in delivering the dividends of democracy, because indeed we do not have any other Country but Nigeria. I also am speaking with you as a friend on the NLC, because my antecedents will confirm to you that I was instrumental in ensuring the protection of welfare and well-being of workers in one of the most robust sectors in Nigeria – the Aviation sector. About 6 years ago, I was instrumental in influencing and facilitating the biggest single staff promotion exercise, across all cadres in the history of aviation in Nigeria, where almost 900 staff were promoted at the same time in one Company in the sector; with no rancor, outcry, or dissent. I was able to achieve this feat by working with the two main Staff Unions of the Sector, because consider Comrades as positive contributors and not antagonists.  

    Like every other Nigerian, I have said that, I have been keenly watching the developments in the Country, especially in this particular instance the sad incident of Friday, 1st November, 2023 (16 days ago) in Imo State where you were manhandled and assaulted. This is indeed unfortunate.  I am glad that the NSA stated the suspects have been arrested and an investigation will ensue if found wanting, I urge the Federal Government to deal decisively with whoever committed that irresponsible act. 

     It is based on this sad episode and other matters arising that I find it necessary to make some contributions to what I believe will give traction and keep the NLC struggle on a more progressive and impactful trajectory, going forward.

     Accordingly, in my opinion, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), under you is perhaps beginning to overplay its hands. And The drawback of over-playing an advantage is that it is highly likely that you could lose focus, advantage, supporters and ultimately you miss your key strategic objectives and fail to make the desired impacts. If you, as the NLC President, lose focus and become highly political or distracted, you could inadvertently personalize the struggle. If so, some of the NLC adherents, the generality of Nigerians, and critical stakeholders will start questioning your objectivity, rationale, and actual objective. When you allow those things to happen, you could most likely lose your strategic positioning in the state of play. It may seem far-fetched, but the highly operational activism methodology you have adopted most recently will ultimately make the NLC lose its footing, lose guard, relevance, and respect – slowly initially, and if not contained, could lead to internal conflict of objectives and principles with negative consequences on the NLC leadership structure. 

     The above-mentioned situational assessment is based on the fact that it is beginning to appear that I am reluctant to subscribe to the insinuations that you are highly partisan and you are playing a political script to undermine governance, my view is that your tactical timing of the Imo conference gave room to that rumor. With all due respect, you shouldn’t have undertaken that journey during such a very toxic and sensitive election period in Imo State, whereby even your detractors and any other person could misread your objectives, which could actually be noble, albeit ill-timed. This is because, with tempers and the state of insecurity running high, you basically played into the hands of those who allegedly did what they did to you. Wisdom should have prevailed, such that you live “to conquer another day.

     At this juncture, let me categorically state that I am not downplaying the unfortunate incident that happened to you on 1st November, It is totally unacceptable and the culprits should be brought to book. This type of assault should not happen to any labor leader, activist, or Nigerians who are fighting for a better Nigeria. But with the benefit of hindsight, the question is, “Could this incident have been averted”, and the answer is, “Yes”. In any case, I am sure that we have all learned some lessons so that we can move forward with the struggle constructively and sure-footedly.

     Comrade President, I am one of those who commended you in the mass media and your team when you led the organized labor along with Comrade Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), during the negation of minimum wages and palliatives with the Federal Government last month. You performed wonderfully well because you, Comrade Osifo, and your team were able to effectively negotiate with the Federal Government which led to very good outcomes. My counsel to the NLC at that time was that they should remain focused and consistent in ensuring that the Federal and State Governments deliver the commitments that were made, in line with the action plan agreed upon. There should have been more of the focus on those critical issues, while the Imo conference could have been planned for another better time.

    Read Also: Atiku’s coalition call to unseat APC: no talks with PDP, says LP

     Based on the foregoing, Comrade President, I urge you to be more circumspect and strategic, going forward. There is no doubt that the NLC is a critical stakeholder in Nigeria, and therefore, strategic thinking, planning, and execution are key to the successful delivery of your mandate for the workers of Nigeria and indeed for the general good of all Nigerians. I do not envy your position, the circumstances of your work, and the situation we have found ourselves in Nigeria, and that is why it is important that you remain focused on the big picture objective and not be distracted by mundane issues that may come up, or those that you could inadvertently create by yourself. 

     That is why there is a need for the NLC and organized labor under your leadership to re-strategize and re-position, otherwise you may push your luck too far which may derail the train of the struggle and leave Nigerian workers at the losing end. I honestly hope that this will not happen under your watch because we really need a vibrant, strategic, and forward-thinking NLC at this critical time in the history of our Country. The NLC is a veritable counterbalance that we need to ensure good governance in Nigeria – only if the NLC thinks, plans, and executes properly. 

     Furthermore, I urge you not to get preoccupied by tactical engagements that could distract you from focusing on the very important issues. Consider the Imo incident and the injury inflicted on you as one of those sacrifices and prizes that you are paying for leadership – part of your scars of war sets you apart as a leader. You must have a thick skin from distraction and attempts to frustrate you, but you should also avoid unnecessarily gaslighting issues and inadvertently getting entangled in cacophonies that will slow you down from achieving the noble and laudable ideals of the NLC.

     Importantly, with the call-off of a strike by organized labor, it is time to review the situation that led to the imbroglio with the intent to fashion a proactive way forward rather than being reactive.

     The focus should not be only on the short-term impacts but also on the mid-to-long-term impacts.

     With the over 130 millions of about 200 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians who are already cringing under the vagaries of socio-economic malaise so much so that some of our actions/ inactions will not only further push them further into the abyss of hopelessness (after all they are already neck deep in abject poverty), but our actions/ inactions could push other Nigerians into that category of multi-dimensionally poor.  I am very sure that it is never your intention and that is why you should be less emotional and more introspective while considering your line of actions along with your comrades, to ensure that you avoid, as much as possible, “unintended consequences “. Otherwise, the potential ramifications of such actions on the innocent well-meaning Nigerians and their Allies include the family of the workers whose interests you promised to protect amongst whom

     Comrade president, there is a lot of tough work of constructive engagements for a better Nigeria ahead of all of us, particularly for you and your comrades. Be assured of our continued support and advice to keep on track only for the betterment of Nigeria – nothing more, nothing less.

    Solidarity Forever! Aluta Continua, Victoria Acerta!

    May Almighty God Continue to Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

  • NLC, TUC, others praise Uba Sani over release of N3bn pension, death benefits

    NLC, TUC, others praise Uba Sani over release of N3bn pension, death benefits

    Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Unions (TUC) and Pensioners union, have commended the Kaduna state governor, Uba Sani, for the timely release of N3.1billion as payment for the gratuity of retirees and death benefits to families of deceased beneficiaries under the Defined Benefit Scheme and the Contributory Pension Schemes.

    In three separate letters from the NLC, TUC and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, the unions showered encomiums on the governor and the Kaduna state government for the proactive release of the funds especially in the face of current economic realities.

    “We write to appreciate Your Excellency for the approval and release of N3.1 Billion for the payment of gratuity for retirees and death benefits for families of the deceased retirees. This honourable gesture will serve as an immediate intervention that will alleviate the suffering of both the retirees and the families of our fallen heroes that served our dear state diligently.” NLC stated in a letter signed by its state chairman, Comrade Ayuba Suleiman.

    Read Also: Workers resume at UI, UCH as NLC suspends strike

    Similarly,the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and the Trade Union Congress also lauded Governor Sani for the release of the pension funds.

    “You excelled as a Senator,by sponsoring bills that touched the lives of many Nigerians, and now you have gone ahead to set aside such huge amount of money for the payment of gratuity and death benefits, we the leaders of this great Union appreciate this gesture which will touch the lives of many Pensioners “ the letter from the pensioners union stated.

    Also, the groups in their commendation letters while pledging their unflinching support to Governor Sani led administration, advocated for the constitution of the Board of the Kaduna State Pension Bureau to ensure total transparency.

    They said: “For inclusiveness and to strengthen the judicial utilization of these funds even in the future, we are advocating for the constitution of the Board of the Bureau in accordance with section 20 of the Kaduna State Pension Reform (Amended) Law, 2020.”

    The Kaduna state government in October 2023 approved the release of N3.1billion for the payment of gratuity to retirees and death benefits for families of the deceased under the Defined Benefit Scheme and the Contributory Pension Schemes.

    According to the Kaduna State Pension Bureau, over 1,000 retirees and families of deceased beneficiaries are to benefit from the pension funds released as the verification exercise for the payment of the gratuity and death benefits has commenced in the 3 senatorial zones of Kaduna state.

  • Different faces of the NLC

    Different faces of the NLC

    Sir: Gone were the days when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was the voice of the masses. If the NLC sneezed during these periods, the whole country would shake. This was the case because the union was non-partisan towards any political group.  Prior to this time, the NLC chose their fights meticulously; they rarely engaged in industrial actions that later turned the masses against them. But can this be said of today’s NLC?

    The NLC was known to be the defender of the underprivileged. But putting into consideration the way the union is being managed nowadays, it seems the body has turned to an organization that is being used to settle personal scores with whoever crossed any of its leaders’ paths. It has obviously become the body that is being influenced to inflict pains on people anytime there is a clash between the union and the government or any group. 

    Many have wondered as to what could have caused the attack on one of the leaders of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in Imo State. To some others, the attack was unavoidable since many of the union’s members and its leader are now allegedly involved in politics. Be that as it may, many want to know why the whole country of over 230 million people must go through hardship owing to a skirmish between the NLC president and unknown persons in one state, Imo, out of 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory.

    No one supports or could have encouraged violence against any leader of the NLC. However, I also do not expect the NLC to torment the entire citizens of Nigeria in the course of wreaking vengeance on the union’s enemies.

    Read Also: JUST IN: NLC, TUC hold emergency NEC meeting on strike suspension

    I personally frown at the treatment meted out to Ajaero in Imo State. This of course, should be discouraged, most especially in a civilized society. Nevertheless, I’ll never support a union which was purposely and intentionally instituted to be for all but chose to be for one. Showing glaring support for a particular political party is undoubtedly against the ethics of a labour union that portrays itself to be the defender of all. The moment the NLC swore allegiance to a particular political party was exactly the time people started doubting the union’s integrity.

    Every group has a purpose for which it is created. The purpose of NLC is totally different from that of a political party.

    The NLC is neither a political party nor a group that has the power to decide who should govern a state or the country. The power to do this is left for the electorate. The labour union was created to prioritize the welfare and rights of Nigerian workers. Meddling in political activities is never a suitable call for the NLC to answer. Political engagements such as campaigns, rallies and debates should be left for those who’re wired to do politics. Any labour leader, who cannot do without playing partisan politics, should be advised to relinquish or vacate his seat for peace to reign.

    • Ademola ‘Bablow’ Balalola, babalolaademola39@gmail.com
  • NLC, TUC meet FG, may call strike off

    NLC, TUC meet FG, may call strike off

    Indications emerged on Wednesday evening that the Organised Labour might soon call the ongoing nationwide industrial action it started on Tuesday off.

    This followed a meeting organised by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, at his office in Abuja, where the Federal Government and Labour reassessed the issues that led to the strike.

    The Organised Labour, consisting of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), directed all their affiliate bodies across the country to withdraw services, in protest of the brutalisation of the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, Imo State, ahead of the off-season governorship election in the state.

    There were conflicting details on the actual circumstances that led to the beating of Ajaero but there has been a general conclusion that the Labour leader allegedly got caught up in the middle of a political disagreement, which saw the Labour chapter in Imo State polarised and up against each other.

    The national bodies of the Organised Labour have accused the Imo State government, the Police Command and some individuals identified as thugs, as the culprits of the attack on Ajaero and have made some demands, which they have given as conditions for calling the strike off.

    Wednesday’s meeting attracted NSA Ribadu; Minister of Labour and employment, Simon Lalong; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, on the federal government’s side, President of the TUC, Festus Usifo and the General Secretary of NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja, represented the organised Labour.

    Disclosing the reason for the meeting to journalists, Minister of Labour and Employment, Lalong said it was “in respect of the incident that happened in Imo and the meeting came under very heavy security considerations, that’s why we brought the meeting to the office of the National Security Adviser. 

    “All the Labour leaders were also here with us, we had a very fruitful discussion, which were very genuine and very frank, which they have agreed to take back home to their constituents, with a plea to lift the strike so that we can continue with our deliberations”, he said.

    Asked if both sides were able to reach an agreement on ending the strike during the discussions, the Minister said: “it’s an ongoing discussion”.

    On how soon the strike might be called off, following discussions, Lalong said: “That’s left for the Labour to decide, but from the discussions, we don’t expect the strike to last long again” .

    Also speaking to journalists after the meeting, President of the TUC, Usifo, said they had held discussions with the federal government on resolving the issues that led to the strike, saying his team was leaving the meeting to go back for a reappraisal of issues discussed.

    The Labour leader, who discussed the discussions they held with government as robust, said “we just came for a meeting the NSA invited us for and as you can see, the two ministers from the Ministry of Labour and Employment also participated.

    “So we had some robust conversations where a lot of assurances were given, in furtherance to the release that was done this morning by the NSA that some people have been apprehended and that they will coordinate the investigation.

    “We also told him our part of the story and all, but at the end of the day, they made several appeals to us and several promises on what they are going to do and the ones that they have already done.

    “So we said we’ll go back to reappraise the conversations that we have had and we’ll communicate accordingly”, Usifo said.

    Asked how long Nigerians should wait for the strike to be called off, he said they had to take the conversations back to their various bodies for evaluation, after which a decision will be taken 

    Read Also: BREAKING: NLC gives six conditions to call off strike

    “The strike was caused by something, it’s a symptom of a problem and it’s problem that we came here now to have a conversations on and with all the assurances that they have given us, with the office of the NSA promising to coordinate everything, so every discussion we have had here, I mean if you can see us, how many of us are here? 

    “We need to take it (the discussions) back, we’ll look at it, we’ll examine it and take a decision”, he said.

    Meanwhile, following their meeting with the federal government, the NLC and TUC have scheduled a joint extraordinary National Executive Council meeting by 7pm on Wednesday.

    The National Vice President of the TUC, Tommy Etim, said: “We commend the steps taken so far by the NSA. He made us understand that he didn’t see the issue on the ground as a political fight. He also noted that two people have been arrested in line with the brutalisation of Ajaero. Initially, the government felt the strike would not hold. They were shocked to see that we went ahead with our threats.

    “We are going to have an extraordinary joint NEC this evening by 7pm and I can tell you there is hope.”

  • JUST IN: NLC, TUC hold emergency NEC meeting on strike suspension

    JUST IN: NLC, TUC hold emergency NEC meeting on strike suspension

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have fixed an extraordinary National Executive Council meeting for 7pm to decide on whether to suspend the ongoing nationwide strike or not.

    This followed a meeting with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

    An official of the Trade Union Congress confirmed this to The Nation on Wednesday.

    Read Also: 40% IGR deduction: Burden will be passed to parents, colleges of education union warns FG

    The Organised Labour will deicide at the meeting whether to proceed with the ongoing nationwide strike.

    Labour on Tuesday commenced a nationwide indefinite strike to render its displeasure in the beating of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero by alleged thugs in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    The strike entered day two on Wednesday with many affiliates of organised labour joining.

    Details Shortly…

  • BREAKING: Senate urges NLC, TUC, ASUU to call off strike in national interest

    BREAKING: Senate urges NLC, TUC, ASUU to call off strike in national interest

    The Senate on Wednesday, November 15, called on the leadership of organized labour, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to urgently call off their ongoing strike in the spirit of patriotism and national interest.

    The Senate also mandated its leadership led by Senate President Akpabio to urgently meet with representatives of the unions to seek amicable resolutions of their demands.

    Read Also: Senate takes steps to address NLC strike

    The resolutions of the Red Chamber followed its consideration of a motion moved by Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, at plenary, titled: “The need for Labour to reconsider their industrial action in the interest of patriotism and for rule of law and order.”

    Details shortly…