NLC to FG: You‘ve till Friday to meet our demands

VANGUARD

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said yesterday the federal government has till Friday to meet its demands or risk another round of industrial unrest.

This came as the government pleaded for more time to address grievances of the labour movement.

However, Vanguard gathered at the resumed meeting between the Ministry of Labour and Employment and NLC that leadership of  the labour movement told the government categorically that nobody could accuse it of not giving government more than enough time to address its demands.

Some of the demands include wage award, tax exemptions and allowances to public sector workers, reduction of cost of governance, provision of Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, buses, release of modalities for N70 billion for Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, release of officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, by the police and vacation of occupation of Police-backed interlopers, among others.

One of the leaders of NLC at the meeting informed Vanguard that among others, President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, pointed out that the 21-day ultimatum would expire in a few days and hoped the government met the union’s demands before then. 

”Precisely, our 21-day’s ultimatum will expire this Friday, September 22. Recall that we issued the ultimatum on September 1, 2023. So, Comrade Ajaero has made that point clear, that the government has up till Friday to address our demands or risk another round of industrial unrest. 

”He cited the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, quagmire and asked that the Police and Federal government are called to order to give respite to the union. 

”The NURTW issue is within the purview of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, FMLE, which the ministry can immediately resolve.

“At the closed door meeting, after the recess, when the Minister of Labour, Simon Lalong, who initiated the meeting, called on NLC to give the government more time to address our demands, Ajaero responded that nobody can accuse the congress of not giving the government reasonable time because we have given more than enough time to the government to act. 

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