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NLC, TUC suspend workers’ nationwide strike

Published

6 months ago

November 16, 2023

Nigeria’s organised labour has suspended its nationwide strike, which began on Tuesday.

The Joint National Executive Council of the two leading labour unions which declared the strike – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) – announced the suspension of the industrial action at the end of a meeting Wednesday evening, reports said..

The development came a few hours after the labour leaders listed six demands and subsequently met with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

The meeting was held at the instance of Mr Ribadu, who earlier, in a statement on Wednesday, appealed to the labour unions to call off the strike to give room for negotiations.

The NLC, TUC and their affilliates had declared the strike over the attack on the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on 1 November.

The unions accused the Imo State government and the police in the state of sponsoring thugs and giving them a cover to brutalise Mr Ajaero.

The NLC president was attacked and brutalised while preparing to lead a protest against the Imo State government over alleged non-payment of civil servants’ salaries for months and inhumane treatment of some government workers in the state.

In the demands which they released Wednesday, the labour unions demanded that justice be done with respect to Mr Ajaero’s attack for the strike to be called off.

Among their six requests were demands for investigation, prosecution and dismissal of government and police officials involved in the attack on Mr Ajaero.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting with the NSA on Wednesday, TUC president, Festus Osifo, said the federal government, through Mr Ribadu, had given an assurance to meet their demands.

PREMIUM TIMES reported partial compliance with the strike directive of the leadership of the unions by workers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and across states on Tuesday.