Strike: After Midnight Negotiations, Wike, Labour Unions Reach Truce

Activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are set to return to normal following a truce reached between organised labour and the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, after hours of intense negotiations that stretched into the early hours of Tuesday.

This came after a marathon meeting convened by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Mohammed Bomoi, which lasted for more than three hours.

The meeting, which began a few minutes before midnight, ended at about 3:50am.

THE uWHISTLER gathered that proceedings were initially marked by a shouting match between the minister and the labour unions.

A source privy to the meeting said calm was restored after Senator Bomoi intervened and prevailed on both parties to embrace dialogue.

In attendance were Wike, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and his counterpart at the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo.

Also present were the scribes of both labour centres and other critical stakeholders.

The meeting followed days of tension in the nation’s capital, as organised labour, under the joint platform of the NLC and TUC, insisted that there would be no retreat from a planned mass protest to press home the demands of workers under the FCT Administration (FCTA).

Police in the FCT had warned labour to reconsider the action in the “interest of safety,” while the minister had obtained a court order restraining the workers from embarking on the protest.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, announced that both sides had reached far-reaching agreements aimed at restoring industrial peace.

Upah disclosed that it was agreed that no worker would be victimised as a result of the strike action that disrupted activities across the FCT.

He further revealed that all outstanding cases involving the dispute at the National Industrial Court (NIC) would be withdrawn immediately.

“All affiliates are hereby informed that a conciliatory meeting was held between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, at the instance of the Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Mohammed Bomoi.

“At the conclusion of the meeting, the following resolutions were reached: all complaints presented by JUAC members were taken one after the other and fully addressed.

“The Honourable Minister assured organised labour of mutual respect and sustained engagement going forward,” Upah said.

Flanked by the General Secretary of the TUC, Nuhu Toro, and other labour leaders, Upah announced that workers had been directed to resume duties with immediate effect.

He said, “Consequently, all JUAC members and all affiliates of the TUC and NLC working in the Ministry of the FCT (MFCT) are hereby directed to resume work immediately.

“All affiliates are enjoined to comply strictly with this directive in the interest of industrial peace and harmony, in good faith.”