After a nationwide protest on Wednesday, the organised Labour has agreed to suspend further action following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu Wednesday evening at the State House, Abuja
At the meeting were the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, President, Joe Ajaero and his Trade Union Congress, TUC, counterpart, Festus Osifo.
Moments after the meeting, the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, in a statement, said the labour leaders resolved to end the strike with confidence in the President’s ability to encourage open and honest consideration of all the issues put forward by the Labour Movement.
Alake stated that the union leaders opted for further constructive engagement with the government to resolve all outstanding issues as they affect the working people and Nigerians in general.
According to him, President Tinubu gave his commitment to the labour leaders that the Port Harcourt refineries will start production by December 2023 after the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation contract between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and an Italian firm, Maire Tecnimont SpA.
He also noted that President Tinubu assured the Labour leaders that he would continue to work for the best interest of Nigeria while pleading with the Labour leaders to join hands with him to birth a better and economically buoyant country
The workers earlier on Wednesday held protests across the country against the removal of fuel subsidy by the present administration.
The protests came after weeks of deadlocked negotiations between them and the government.
The NLC, TUC, and other affiliate unions have been demanding a reversal of the government’s decision.
They resorted to protests after a National Industrial Court barred them from proceeding with a nationwide strike which was to commence on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
