Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has suspended its strike scheduled to commence tomorrow over Naira scarcity rocking the nation.
The pressure group earlier disclosed that it would begin an indefinite strike from tomorrow, (Wednesday), adding that it would picket branches of the Central Bank of Nigeria across the country.
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The suspension of the strike was made known today at the end of its National Executive Council meeting.
However, the group gave CBN additional wo weeks to ensure Naira notes circulates across the country.
The NLC had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to end the petrol and cash scarcity being experienced in the country.
The national president of the union, Joe Ajaero, said the decision to picket the CBN branches became necessary as the federal government and the CBN had failed to show any commitment to addressing the situation.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on Tuesday, in Abuja assured Nigerians that the Federal Government has averted the nationwide strike planned by the Nigeria Labour Congress against the Central Bank of Nigeria, over the scarcity of naira notes.
Ngige disclosed this at the 68th session of the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
He noted;
There’s already a dialogue going on and there’s also implementation and the Nigerian Labour Congress agreed that there was some thawing at the surface of the icing that was there.
They said they will call up their National Executive Council meeting because the initial decision to give that ultimatum was given by this same Council. Members of the Council reside in the states and in the local governments, so that they will come up today, which is Tuesday, March 28, to review the situation because much as it is, the important thing is that we have emphasised to them that we have apprehended this dispute.
By Section 7:8 of Trade Dispute Act, once the Minister apprehends and starts conciliation on it, you maintain status quo ante bellum. So they have gone back now to review the situation. If they’re not satisfied with what they’re seeing, they will come back to me and I’ll invite the CBN again.
But for now, the issue of discussion is no longer strike, the issue of discussion is implementation and how far it’s gone and how far it affects Nigerian workers and the general population.
