NLC suspends planned strike, as FG meets demands

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, suspended
the planned strike and protest march scheduled for today in
Abuja and Lagos, as well as other state capitals across the
federation, over the plights of Nigerian pensioners.
The suspension followed the decision of the Federal
Government to meet the demands of the congress and the
National Union of Pensioners (NUP), after a crucial meeting
held with the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in
Abuja, on Monday night.
The Federal Government has also set up a joint committee of
labour and government, headed by the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, to
harmonise the payments and “resolve sundry matters
connected with pension payment and administration of
pension funds.”
Addresing a press conference after its Central Working
Committee (CWC) meeting at the Labour House, Abuja, on
Tuesday, NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said the
CWC “has suspend forthwith the work stoppage/protest march
billed to take place on Wednesday, April 10.”
But he warned that the strike/protest march would resume
without warning, if, “by the end of April or thereabouts, the
Federal Government fails to implement all it has promised to
do.”
While commending the workers and the civil societies for
properly mobilising for the action, Omar said the Federal
Government had accepted to restore the check-off dues of the
NUP, which had been withheld for one year, and also ordered
the withdrawal from the court the case between it and NUP in
respect of the pension payment/matters.
The committee is to, among other things, resolve issues of the
review of pension payment to reflect 53.4 per cent wage
increase to workers in 2010 and the payment of N18,000
minimum wage as well as perfect and fast-track the process of
pension payment.