Minister begs TUC: Be patient, FG’ll address your grievances

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, has appealed to the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to be patient, saying the Federal Government was already working on addressing some of the grievances presented by the organiser labour.

The minister said this during a closed-door meeting with the TUC leaders in Abuja on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

Lalong, who met with the TUC leaders alongside the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyeajeocha, told the union that after their last meeting, he met with President Tinubu Bola to highlight some of the issues raised by the union.

The former governor of Plateau State appealed to the TUC to exercise more patience, explaining that before Tinubu left for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the president was fully briefed and gave further directives on the implementation of issues put before him (Lalong), particularly when he personally met with the labour leaders.

Lalong, according to a statement issued by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundu, however, thanked the TUC for attending the meeting, saying this showed they are committed to the Nigerian project and are open to dialogue for greater industrial harmony.

Speaking, the TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, said there should be more action than promises because workers were getting more impatient due to the hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.

Osifo, who said workers were facing enormous pressures that were making life very difficult and giving TUC leaders sleepless nights, however, noted that the union hoped President Tinubu would have done everything possible to arrive at a conclusion within the next two weeks to douse the tension and threat for withdrawal of services by workers.

TUC while noting that the meeting with the ministers was fruitful, hoped that government would live up to its promises and responsibility for ensuring the welfare of workers and Nigerians in general.

The Star