The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have decided to proceed with the nationwide strike, beginning on Wednesday, May 18.
The labour unions' move is despite the restraining order issued against the action by the National Industrial Court against the planned strike.The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami had filed a suit challenging the proposed action of the unions.
The decision was reached at its the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held on Tuesday, May 17, at the NLC headquarters in Abuja.
The indefinite strike action is expected to commence at 12 midnight.
“Our decision not to suspend the strike was further fuelled by today’s injunction by the Industrial Court,restraining us from proceeding on the strike expected to begin tomorrow,” according to a source
The General Secretary of the NLC, Peter Ozo-Eson, who also spoke on on Tuesday said that from all indications the strike would go on as planned.
On the meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, earlier convened to attempt to broker a last minute truce on the matter, Mr. Ozo-Eson said the meeting was yet to hold at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
“There was no resolution yet. We are just going for the meeting now. ,” the NLC scribe said on telephone interview. “We have been meeting on our own on matters that are important to us. It is clear the strike will go ahead as planned,” Mr. Ozo-Eson said on telephone on his way to the venue of the meeting.
He however assured that an official statement would be issued on the final position after what promises to be an all-night meeting.
The General Executive Secretary of Medical and Health Workers Union, north central, Richard Gbamwuan, in an interview shortly after an emergency NEC meeting of the NLC held in Abuja on Tuesday, said that they were going ahead with the proposed strike.
“We have resolved to go ahead with the protest nationwide, as far as we are concerned, we are yet to be aware of any court injunction,” he said.
“And if there is any court injunction, we are just doing what federal government is fond of doing. The same Industrial court had stopped federal government from increasing electric tariff but till date federal government ignored us, they still went ahead, so we are embarking on the protest.”
Meanwhile ,the Ajaero faction of the NLC this evening reached an agreement with the Federal Government not to embark on any strike action..Rather ,it has agreed on a two week period to trash out all issues relating to the new price regime as well as the reconstitution of the PPRA board among others.
LATEST UPDATE
Report reaching CKN News from the venue of the rescheduled meeting with the Ayuba Wabba led NLC revealed that Union has just walked out of the meeting with the Federal Government delegation ..The Union told journalists that the strike action commences tommorrow as scheduled .
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