The Federal Government yesterday asked the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, to shelve their planned nationwide indefinite strike from October 3, saying going ahead with the proposed industrial action will amount to a gross violation of a subsisting court injunction.
The National Economic Council, NEC, also yesterday appealed to the labour unions not to embark on the indefinite strike, asking both the Federal Government and labour to continue negotiations at the state level.
These positions came on a day the NLC insisted that the strike would go ahead, even as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, directed members, including the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, Petrol Stations Workers, PSW, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers, LPGAR, and all other allied workers in the value chain of petroleum products distribution to comply with the strike directive.
Recall that the NLC had earlier yesterday, denied entering into any agreement with the Federal Government to suspend the proposed indefinite strike, even as it said it had no scheduled meeting with the government.
However, the government said issues bordering on fuel subsidy removal, which informed the decision of the NLC and the TUC to declare the strike, are pending before the National Industrial Court, NIC.
FG writes unions through their lawyer
Speaking through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the government wrote to the head of the legal team of the two unions, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, urging him to persuade his clients to abort the planned strike.
The letter, dated September 26, read: “The attention of the Ministry has been drawn to media reports on the proposed nationwide strike action by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, scheduled to commence on October 3, 2023.
“You are kindly invited to recall the antecedence of previous steps/actions on this matter, particularly the exchange of correspondence between this office and your firm, before and after the nationwide “action/protest” declared by the NLC on August 2, 2023.