The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has said that he was positive that the planned nationwide strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress would not hold.
This, he explained, was because the Federal Government had intervened to avert the industrial action.
He stated that Tuesday’s meeting of the NLC’s National Executive Committee would focus on the implementation of many actions by the Central Bank to provide funds nationally to ease the hardship generated by extended cash shortage in the country.
Ngige disclosed this at the 68th session of the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
According to reports, Ngige and the CBN Governor, Dr. Godwin Emefiele, met with the NLC leadership on Monday to try to prevent a strike that was scheduled to begin on March 29 nationwide.
The NLC had threatened to start a nationwide strike if the federal government did not address the ongoing cash crunch, fuel scarcity, and electricity tariff increase.
Ngige, however, invited the CBN management and the Labour union leadership to a meeting at his Abuja office on Monday in an effort to settle their differences and prevent the planned strike.
Speaking on Tuesday, the Labour Minister said, “At this moment we are no longer talking about whether or not to go on strike. We are only discussing the implementation of the CBN’s response to the whole situation.
“Today, Tuesday March 28, the National Economic Committee of the labour union from states and local government areas will report to the national leadership. And I am positive that they will not continue with the strike planned for Wednesday.
“We have apprehended the dispute and when the minister apprehends a dispute, the next line of action is to maintain status quo antebellum”, Ngige said.
