Just In : TUC Pulls Out of Proposed strike by NLC, Says Dialogue with Govt. is the Solution
The senior workers umbrella organisation – the Trade Union Congress (TUC) – decided at its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday in Abuja that it would continue with dialogue with the government to ease the pain of petrol subsidy removal, a senior figure told our correspondent. The NLC on Friday announced that workers will go on a two-day warning strike, tomorrow and Wednesday.
Its President Joe Ajaero said the decision was taken at its NEC meeting with possibility of a “total shutdown” after 14 days. The TUC source, who is a NEC member said the union reasoned that the planned strike is “premature”.
“The TUC feels there is no need to embark on a strike because we are still discussing with the Federal Government on the issue of palliatives for workers,” he said.
In states such as Ogun and Niger, labour leaders ruled out the possibility of joining the strike while in Oyo and Sokoto, they insisted on a work boycott as directed by the NLC.
Some governors also moved to avert the strike by either arranging meetings with Labour leaders or restating their plans to ameliorate the pains caused by subsidy removal. Akwa Ibom and Kano are such states where the governments will today meet with labour leaders.
The steps to prevent the warning strike by the Federal Government will be outlined today by Labour Minister Simon Lalong, it was learnt.
The NLC explained that the decision followed the “failure of the Federal Government to dialogue and engage stakeholders within the organised labour on efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy on the poor masses.”
But speaking after the TUC meeting, the NWC member said joining the NLC in the strike would further put the interest of the masses at risk.
