Simon Bako Lalong, the minister of labour and employment, has spoken with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) leadership for the second time in two weeks to inform them of the steps taken by the federal government to address their complaints since their previous meeting.
The Minister, together with the Minister of State, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyeajeocha, informed the TUC that he had met with the President following their previous meeting to discuss a few of the concerns presented by the Labour Party.
He pleaded with the TUC to have more patience, pointing out that the President had been fully briefed and had issued additional instructions on how to execute the issues brought up, particularly when he personally met with the labour leaders, before he left for the UNGA in New York.
The Minister thanked the TUC for agreeing to attend the briefing and for their willingness to engage in conversation in order to promote greater industrial unity before the discussion entered a closed-door session.
The TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, said the TUC respects the Minister’s efforts but that there needs to be more action than just words because the suffering caused by the loss of subsidies is making workers impatient.
He claimed that the immense pressures that the workers are under are making life extremely tough and giving the TUC leadership sleepless nights.
However, Osifo stated that the TUC hopes that over the course of the next two weeks, the President will have done everything in his power to reach a decision that the workforce is ready to hear in order to ease the tension and workers’ threat of terminating services.
The TUC reported that the meeting was productive and expressed hope that the government will uphold its commitment to guaranteeing the wellbeing of workers and Nigerians in general.
The Minister kept working on recommended ministerial derivables for the actualization of the 8 Presidential Priorities and focus areas with the technical team from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in the meantime.
