The federal government of Nigeria yesterday intensified efforts to avert the nationwide indefinite strike called by organised Labour.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, met with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong and the Minister of State in the ministry, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, at the presidential villa in Abuja ostensibly to explore ways to stave off the action.
Following that meeting, Lalong expressed optimism that leaders of organized labour might have a change of mind.
Even though he observed that meetings between the government and the labour leaders have been cordial so far, he was unable to say categorically whether the strike action might be called off.
Recall that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) had threatened to lead a nationwide, indefinite industrial action, starting from Thursday to protest the lack of adequate measures to ameliorate the harsh economic conditions occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
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Speaking to correspondents after the meeting with Shettima, the Labour Minister said: ‘As for me I don’t think there is any problem. We’re moving very fine with them, with the Nigerian labour and the posture of the President too is towards good welfare for the Labour in Nigeria, so we have no doubt.
‘That’s why in many of the meetings we’ve had with them we are not ending up boxing ourselves, we were smiling, all of us, with hope that the best is going to come.’
When asked about the strike, he said ‘Which strike? We’re still… No, don’t worry about it. That’s why I said it’s a friendly engagement we’re having with them. We didn’t have any fear about some of the things they put and also the suggestions and about.’
On whether the federal government had obtained any assurance from the organised Labour that the planned strike would be shelved, Lalong said “I don’t want to say that, I’m not the NLC’s President.