Nationwide strike: NLC shuns last-minute meeting with FG

The anticipated meeting between the federal government and organized labour, aimed at averting the nationwide worker strike scheduled for next Tuesday, did not take place as planned on Friday.

The scheduled meeting between Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, and Minister of Labour and Employment, Hon Simon Lalong, with Labor leaders at the State House, Abuja, on Friday at around 3 pm did not take place as Labor leaders, including the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, declined to attend.

Lalong was spotted at the Chief of Staff Gbajabiamila’s office, gearing up for the meeting. Yet, by approximately 5:30 pm, the expected Labor leaders had to make an appearance, and inquiries into their absence proved unsuccessful on Friday evening.

It was reported earlier that the alleged attempts by the Federal Government to employ legal tactics to restrain the organized labour’s forthcoming indefinite nationwide strike from Tuesday drew strong condemnation from Tommy Etim, the National Deputy President of the TUC.

Etim stated firmly that labour leaders were resolute against government intimidation and prepared to face imprisonment in their quest for improved living conditions for Nigerian workers.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had issued a warning that the proposed strike contravenes a subsisting court order restraining the unions from declaring an industrial action.

The letter directed to the union reads in part,

Earlier, ThePressNG reported that the Federal Government has invited NLC and TUC to a last-minute meeting in an attempt to avert the looming strike on the 3rd of October.

However, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria jointly decided to boycott the unplanned meeting with the Federal Government set for 3 p.m. on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.