The meeting between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) aimed at preventing an impending strike action has concluded without a concrete resolution. The gathering, which took place in Abuja, brought together key figures including the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, and NLC President, Joe Ajaero, along with other labor leaders.

This meeting, though inconclusive, is expected to resume on a later date, and there are plans for the minister to meet with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the coming days.

The government had initially invited both the NLC and the TUC to engage in discussions aimed at averting the planned two-day strike that occurred on September 5 and 6. However, only the TUC attended the meeting, leaving the NLC's participation uncertain.

During the recent meeting, Minister Lalong pledged to work collaboratively with organized labor to address the various demands of the labor unions in a fair and balanced manner. He urged the labor leaders to approach the discussions with realism and frankness, expressing optimism that the dialogue would lead to a resolution that serves the national interest.

In response, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed mixed feelings about the meeting, indicating that past meetings of a similar nature had not yielded positive outcomes. He highlighted that previous strikes were triggered by the frustration experienced by Nigerian workers due to the hardships resulting from the removal of fuel subsidies. Despite numerous meetings, none of the agreements with the Federal Government had been addressed, according to Ajaero.

Furthermore, Ajaero strongly condemned the invasion of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) office, where some of its leaders were arrested and detained. He argued that this action alone was sufficient reason for the NLC to proceed with their planned strike action. The meeting between the government and labor unions remains a critical point of discussion as both parties seek to find common ground and avert further industrial actions.