Boma Achenimie 
The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday announced the postponement of its proposed nationwide strike for 30 days.
The announcement came hours after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government after a marathon meeting that ended around 11 pm.
New Telegraph had earlier reported that the leadership of the Labour Unions and Federal Government held discussions for more than five hours in the Chief of Staff Conference Room at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to one of the resolutions reached, a minimum wage committee must be established within a month of the agreement date
Announcing the outcome of the meeting to State House correspondents, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, said, “The NLC and TUC accept to suspend for 30 days the planned Indefinite Nationwide strike scheduled to begin, Tuesday, the 3rd of October, 2023.”
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The Labour Minister said the FG also decided to approve N100 billion for the purchase of high-capacity compressed natural gas buses for Nigeria’s mass transportation system.
He stated that although work was still being done on the state-of-the-art CNG stations around the country, plans were also being prepared for an initial 55,000 CNG conversion kits to launch an auto petrol conversion programme.
“The rollout aims to commence by November with pilots across 10 campuses nationwide,” the minister noted.
The federal government intends to launch a number of tax incentive programmes for the general public and the commercial sector.
Additionally, it affirmed its earlier decision of a wage award of N35,000 only for all Federal Government employees commencing in September, pending the expected passage of a new national minimum wage.
However, it asked state governments to execute salary awards for their employees through the National Economic Council and Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
Similar consideration should also be given to local governments and private sector workers,” the memorandum read.
The Federal Government pledged to handle labour matters in accordance with pertinent International Labour Organisation Conventions and Nigerian Labour Acts in regard to the leadership crisis roiling the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the alleged proscription of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, adding that a resolution to the current impasse is anticipated by or before October 13.
While the Federal Government pledged to step up its initiatives on the subsidised distribution of fertilisers to farmers across the nation, the issue of unpaid salaries and wages of tertiary education workers in Federal Government-owned educational institutions is being referred to the Ministry of Labour and Employment for further engagement.
Lalong also noted that the FG vowed to take a joint visitation to the refineries to ascertain their rehabilitation status.
“All parties commit to henceforth abide by the dictates of social dialogue in all our future engagements,” he said.
Signatories to the MoU include the NLC president, Joe Ajaero; TUC President, Festus Osifo; and TUC’s Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro.
On the FG’s side, the signatories include the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, Ajaero threatened to revisit the strike option if the agreements were not implemented.
Asked if the agreements applied to the states, he said the fuel subsidy removal that informed Labour’s action affects all Nigerians, including those in the states and the private sector.
