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.
TUC Splash with AG
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,
- “You are kindly invited to recall the antecedence of previous steps/actions on this matter, particularly the exchange of correspondence between this office and your firm, before and after the nationwide “action/protest” declared by the NLC on August 2, 2023.
- “Whilst your clients had maintained that the nationwide protest by the NLC is in furtherance of its constitutional right to embark on protests, the ministry has repeatedly advised on the need to advise your clients to refrain from resorting to self-help and taking actions capable of undermining subsisting orders of a court of competent jurisdiction.
- “These are undoubtedly issues that have been submitted to the National Industrial Court for adjudication.
- Therefore, the proposed strike action is in clear violation of the pending interim injunctive order granted on June 5, 2023, restraining both the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress from embarking on any industrial action/or strike of any nature, pending the hearing and determination of the pending Motion on Notice” he said.
Backstory
Earlier, Nairametrics 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.
