NLC protesters
The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is set to soften stance on further protest and the proposed nationwide strike after its meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night, labour sources told Political Economist reporter on Wednesday.
Political Economist recalls that President of NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, had said that the meeting held with President Tinubu on Tuesday night addressed the issue of financial insecurity of Nigerian workers.
Ajaero stated this after a meeting convened by Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo with the NLC leadership in Abuja on Wednesday.
Tinubu’s meeting with the NLC leadership at the State House on Tuesday night was part of the last-minute efforts to halt the union’s proposed nationwide protest over insecurity.
The NLC had declared a nationwide protest for Dec. 17, citing what it described as the country’s “degenerating security situation.”
At the resumption of the meeting, Ajaero said that the engagement that Labour had with the Federal Government to cancel the planned protest.
Ajaero said that workers who were poorly paid and inadequately fed were more likely to face deeper challenges than those whose welfare needs were properly met.
“The action continued this morning. We are rounding off now. We will take back whatever we discussed with them to our members.
“The attitude of meeting at the day or eve of any action is not rocket science.
However, Mr President was emphatic that the issue of insecurity will be a thing of the past very soon. He said he’s taking extra steps to take care of it.
“We equally talked about financial insecurity because a worker that is not well fed and not well paid will have even more problems than the ones that are well fed and well paid.
“Mr President said he has put Nigeria in the map of prosperity and we agreed that we’re going to meet in January to look at some grey areas where we need to touch.
“It will equally translate into the prosperity of the working people of Nigeria,” he said.
On whether the protest had been cancelled, Ajaero said: “We are going back to our members now, and then we will get back to them.
“But today (Wednesday) is gone and our action is not an indefinite one. It’s a protest. The issue of suspension is not there because the action has taken off this morning,” Ajaero said.
Also speaking, Gov. Uzodimma who is Chairman, Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), said the president’s intervention played a key role in resolving the matter and that a channel had been opened for increased communication with labour.
He said: “President Bola Tinubu met last night with the leadership of NLC.
“They discussed issues of the Nigerian economy, issues of welfare of workers and the various reforms going on; and also issues of national security and other developments in the country, and all of them agreed.
“National unity is very critical and our national interest is also very important. And the march towards economic prosperity by the president is a welcome idea.
“At the end of the meeting, we also discovered that there is a need for regular engagements with the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“For now, both the government and labour are on the same page to ensure that Nigeria is better protected and more investments in the areas of security should be encouraged.
“And the president’s programmes to secure Nigeria and the entire space should also be supported.”
The governor expressed appreciation to Tinubu for the way he came out to explain to the labour leaders his programmes and activities for an improved security arrangement in the country.
“We are also very grateful to the NLC for the maturity they exhibited; for the interest they also displayed for national security and better security for Nigerians and the welfare of Nigerian workers,” he said.
Uzodimma further said that all parties had agreed to be on the same page, adding that labour was working together with other agencies of government for the interests of the country and the citizens.
“It was a very good development and all issues that were not cleared before this time had been cleared, and all the parties are also comfortable with all the explanations given,” he said.
Additional reports by NAN
