FEC approves implementation of agreement with labour unions
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) is set to embark on a 30-day implementation plan for the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the federal government and organised labour unions.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, made this known in Abuja while speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
According to the MoU, the unions will now suspend their strike by 30 days, with parties to the agreement committing to henceforth abide by the dictates of Social dialogue in all our future engagements.
The MoU also stipulated that the document shall be filed in the relevant court of competent jurisdiction within one (1) week as consent judgment by the Federal Government.
Speaking on Monday, Mr Lalong said the MoU was presented to the council on the implementation of the agreement with labour.
He said the memo from the Federal Ministry for Labour and Employment, precisely on the arrangement of the agreements between government and Labour.
The government are already aware of all about 15 or 14 items as part of the agreements. But we went beyond mere agreements to tell them that something different this time was happening because one part of the agreement was to file it in a court of law, which we had set the process already and the other one was the presidential approval.
He explained that there cannot be any presidential approval other than the federal executive council.
It was presented to the Federal Executive Council, we analyzed every aspect of the agreement to show the genuineness and also provide for a harmonious and good industrial relationship. And that was why it was presented and it was approved for implementation.
Recall, it was agreed that within 30 days, there must be evidence of implementation. I think that was the basis of presenting to the Federal Executive Council. And the federal executive council also approved that within these 30 days, we’ll go on with the implementation of the agreement between the labour and the government.
Responding to a question on item six of the agreement that borders on the alleged government interference in the activities of the leadership of the NURTW, Mr Lalong said a meeting with the leadership of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has been concluded.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had in September said they would embark on an indefinite strike from 3 October over the prevailing hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
However, on 2 October, the two major Nigerian labour unions and a coalition of various workers unions suspended the nationwide strike they were to commence on 3 October.
The labour unions announced their decision to suspend their strike in a MoU signed by the representatives of the labour unions and the federal government.
