Only Implementation Of Agreement Will End Nationwide Strike – NLC Affirmed 

Only Implementation Of Agreement Will End Nationwide Strike – NLC Affirmed 

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, affirmed yesterday that the only way to prevent the impending nationwide strike due to the country’s hardships was for the federal government to uphold the agreement it made with the labor union.

In its recent correspondence directed to the government, the NLC rejected the government’s assertion that it had fulfilled 80 percent of the October 2, 2023 agreement with organized labor.

In the letter dated February 29, 2024, the NLC urged the government to be transparent about any aspects of the agreement it had completely honored, cautioning that the use of propaganda and misinformation was exacerbating discontent among the populace.

Addressed to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, the NLC’s Acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello, advised the government to hasten the implementation of the agreement between now and the March 13, 2024 deadline to avert a potential industrial crisis.

“We write to bring to your attention our concerns regarding the implementation of the October 2, 2023 agreement.

“Your statement suggesting that the government has fulfilled 80 per cent of the said agreement has raised a lot of worries among our members.

”As key stakeholders to that agreement, we feel compelled to address this issue as it may mislead the public and undermine the trust that ought to exist between the government and the Nigerian people especially that which ought to exist between us as social partners.

“Upon careful examination of the 15 points outlined in the October 2, 2023, agreement, it is evident that most of them have not been fully met.

“Furthermore, the few that were supposedly being addressed have been implemented in breach. Allow us to highlight these examples and we would be happy to be contradicted in any of them.

“The first item on the agreement is the N35,000 wage award. We hope that you still remember that by the end of January this year, the federal government had only paid just one month of the four months due to workers. It took pressures from us before some additional months were paid this month. 

”However, it still remains in arrears and has caused undue financial strain on affected workers nationwide. The Port Harcourt Refinery has yet to resume production, despite assurances to the contrary.

”As we write, despite the firm pledge that products will start flowing out of that refinery latest December 2023, nothing has happened. If a litre or a truck load of product has left the refinery to the pumps, Nigerians would be glad to know“, The letter, themed “Has the government truly implemented the October 2, 2023, agreement,” reads in part.