TUC Gives Federal Government 7 Days Grace to Act on Demands 

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has given the Federal Government another week to

act on its demands or risk an industrial action.

TUC President Festus Osifo met with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, where he said the congress was tired of holding endless meetings and wanted definite pronouncements from President Bola Tinubu on its demands.

He also clarified that there were no cracks in the ranks between the NLC and the TUC.

However, the labour minister assured the union that the Federal Government was making efforts to address their concerns.

In a post on X, he said, “I had the privilege of meeting with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress once again, marking the second time in as many weeks. My purpose was to personally update them on the efforts that the Federal Government has been making to address their concerns since our last meeting,”

“In the company of Minister of State Hon. Nkeiruka Onyeajeocha, I spoke to the TUC members, explaining that following our previous meeting, I had a conversation with the President. During this discussion, I emphasised the critical issues raised by the labour union.

“I implored the TUC to exercise patience, sharing that, before the President’s departure for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he was fully briefed on the matters at hand. Furthermore, he provided clear directives on how to proceed with the issues, especially after his personal interaction with labour leaders.”

The meeting on Tuesday was reportedly followed by a similar meeting held by the union, wherein the government was given a two-week window to address the impasse.

Both parties reached an agreement to allow the government to attend to their demands within two weeks, according to a journalist’s report.

The TUC demands that should be met within the two weeks include wage awards for federal civil servants, tax exemption for some categories of workers, and setting up structures for the effective implementation of the palliatives from the Federal Government.