FG Begs NLC To Suspend Planned 2-Day Warning Strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress leadership has been urged by the federal government to postpone the two-day warning strike that is set to begin on Tuesday.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, made the appeal on Monday in Abuja.

READ ALSO: NLC Insists On 2-Day Warning Strike, Mobilises Workers

He cited a number of factors, including the reversal of FG’s prior gains, as the basis for the appeal while pledging to address the competing concerns highlighted by the NLC comprehensively if given some time to get used to his new position.

“It has become necessary to appeal to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leadership to suspend its intended two-day warning strike, as such action would be detrimental to the gains already being recorded on our path to securing a better future for Nigerian workers and citizens at large,” Lalong said.

“Furthermore, I would request that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress gives this government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground holistically.

“It should be remembered that the President only recently swore in the cabinet of this administration, and all cabinet members have already gotten briefings from respective MDAs.

“Therefore, I and the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment are getting briefed on some of the problems brought up by the NLC leadership. We will deal with them holistically throughout the coming weeks.

“Consequently, I take this chance to remind Nigerian workers that their government would never ignore them or fail to value their cooperation and compassion.

“We will continue to pursue measures that will generate a significant amount of jobs across all economic sectors and examine any recent problems brought on by government actions. We can’t accomplish this without an environment of industrial peace,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that although the ministry was yet to get a notification of the planned strike as required by law from the NLC, the ministry would be having a meeting with the labour leaders by 3 p.m. on Monday with a view to stopping the planned strike.