FG averts NLC’s planned nationwide strike

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has said that he was positive that the planned nationwide strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress would not hold.

This, he explained, was because the Federal Government had intervened to avert the industrial action.

He noted that Tuesday’s meeting of the NLC’s National Executive Committee would focus on the implementation of several steps by the Central Bank to avail cash nationwide to alleviate the suffering triggered by prolonged cash crunch in the country.

Ngige disclosed this at the 68th session of the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

The PUNCH reports that Ngige alongside the CBN Governor, Dr Godwin Emefiele, met the leadership of the NLC on Monday to avert a nationwide strike planned for Wednesday, March 29.

NLC had threatened to kickoff a nationwide industrial action if the Federal Government failed to address the lingering cash crunch, fuel scarcity, and electricity tariff hike.

However, Ngige, in his effort to avert the planned strike, invited the leadership of the labour union and the CBN management to a meeting at his Abuja office on Monday, to resolve their differences.

Speaking on Tuesday, the Labour Minister said, “At this moment we are no longer talking about whether or not to go on strike. We are only discussing the implementation of the CBN’s response to the whole situation.

“Today, Tuesday March 28, the National Economic Committee of the labour union from states and local government areas will report to the national leadership. And I am positive that they will not continue with the strike planned for Wednesday.

“We have apprehended the dispute and when the minister apprehends a dispute, the next line of action is to maintain status quo antebellum”, Ngige said.