The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong says that past industrial actions by labour unions have had adverse effects on the country’s economy, promising to partner with labour to address the demands of the unions in a just and balanced way.
The Minister stated this in today at a scheduled meeting with the leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) convened in an effort to stop organised labour from embarking on another industrial action.
Lalong appealed to the labour leaders to be realistic and frank in the discussions, expressing optimism that the meeting would lead to a resolution of national interest.
In his response, the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, said his team was in the meeting with mixed feelings, stating that not one of the agreements with the FG had been addressed despite a series of meetings.
Ajaero also vehemently condemned the invasion of the office of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), with some of its leaders arrested and detained, describing the action as provocative.
He also noted that the past strikes that the minister referred to were a result of the frustration Nigerian workers faced due to the effects of the hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidies.
