Strike: Call Lalong to order, NLC tells Tinubu 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Thursday asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Simon Lalong, to stop his reckless move to undermine the implementation of Labour/Federal Government agreement of October 2, 2023.

Labour in a statement signed by the general secretary, Comrade Emma Ugboaja, said it would take this as president Tinubu’s directives if he fails to  stop the minister.

The statement further expressed concern that despite initial assurances from the minister regarding the illegal occupation of the NURTW’s national headquarters, the democratically elected leadership, led by Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa, has not been reinstated. 

Comrade Ugboaja said instead of doing that,  Lalong is encouraging those illegally occupying NURTW headquarters to conduct its own Delegates’ Conference, both at the zonal and national level to confer legitimacy on their action. 

He said this flagrant act not only constitutes an egregious intrusion into the internal affairs of a union, in violation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, but also represents a clear attempt to sabotage the recently ratified agreement between labour movement and the federal government.

The statement reads: “In a shocking turn of events, the federal Minister of Labour, Mr. Lalong, has thrown a spanner in the wheel of the implementation of the Labour/Federal Government agreement by his unmasked partiality in handling a critical item in the agreement which is the apparent government meddling in trade union matters by siding with people, who had illegally seized the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) headquarters with police support. 

“This group is now being encouraged to conduct its own Delegates’ Conference, both zonally and nationally to confer legitimacy to their action. 

“This flagrant act not only constitutes an egregious intrusion into the internal affairs of a union, in violation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, but also represents a clear attempt to sabotage the recently ratified agreement between labour and the federal government.

“It is unfathomable that a minister of labour, tasked with safeguarding the rights and interests

of diverse stakeholders in our industrial relation landscape, would opt to take actions that could undermine the very foundations of our collective engagement. 

“The minister’s decision which is clearly morally reprehensible and legally untenable marks a disheartening departure from the expected standards of conduct within the nation’s industrial relations sphere.

“Despite initial assurances from the minister regarding the illegal occupation of the NURTW’s national headquarters, the democratically elected leadership, led by Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa, has not been reinstated. Instead, the minister has chosen to endorse and legitimise this hijacking with the state’s backing. This blatant power grab, subverting legality and moral integrity, is an affront to the principles of democratic governance.

“It is now abundantly clear that the federal government never negotiated in good faith and, consequently, was never genuinely committed to honoring the terms of the October 2, 2023 Agreement.”