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Simon Lalong, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has emphasized that previous labor union-led industrial actions have had detrimental impacts on the nation’s economy.
The Minister made this statement in Abuja on Monday during a planned meeting with the leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in an endeavor to prevent organized labor from initiating another industrial action.
He pledged to collaborate with labor to address the labor unions’ demands fairly and equitably.
Furthermore, he implored the labor leaders to approach the discussions with realism and candor.
The minister also expressed confidence that the meeting would result in a resolution beneficial to the nation.
In his response, Joe Ajaero, the President of the NLC, expressed the sentiment of his team during the meeting. He conveyed that they approached the gathering with a mixture of hope and skepticism, uncertain whether any meaningful progress would emerge. This uncertainty stemmed from the fact that numerous similar meetings in the past had failed to yield any positive outcomes.
Ajaero also pointed out that the strikes referred to by the minister were a direct consequence of the frustration experienced by Nigerian workers. This frustration was a direct result of the hardships they endured due to the removal of fuel subsidies.
Furthermore, Ajaero emphasized that despite numerous meetings held, none of the agreements with the FG had been addressed or resolved. This highlighted a significant lack of progress and follow-through on commitments made during previous discussions.
He strongly denounced the intrusion into the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) office, which resulted in the arrest and detention of several of its leaders.
In his view, this incident alone justifies the NLC’s decision to move forward with their planned strike.
