A meeting, convened by the Federal Government with the aim of potentially preventing the nationwide strike proposed by Organised Labour, is presently underway at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
As of the time of this report, labor leaders have been observed arriving at the meeting venue. Notable figures among them include Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); Emma Ugboaja, the General Secretary of the Congress; and Nuhu Toro, the General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).On the government’s side, the negotiation is being led by Femi Gbajiabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, along with the Ministers of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, and Nkeiruka Onyejoecha, respectively.Recall that both the NLC and TUC had issued a threat of embarking on a nationwide, indefinite strike beginning on October 3rd, 2023, as a protest against the Federal Government’s fuel subsidy removal policy.This meeting takes place shortly after President Bola Tinubu announced, in his Independence Day Broadcast to the nation on Sunday, a salary award package of N25,000 for low-grade civil servants in the country.