President Bola Tinubu is set to announce a palliative package that will enable Nigerian workers to cope with the hardship caused by fuel subsidy removal, during his Independence Day speech on October 1, 2023.
According to Olajide Oshundun, spokesperson of the Ministry of Labour, the antjcipated president’s announcement, is part of efforts toward preventing the planned nationwide strike by the organized labour.
This is coming less than 24 hours after the labour unions in the country declared an indefinite strike with effect from Tuesday, October 3, to protest the alleged failure of President Tinubu’s government to provide post-subsidy palliatives for workers.
But Oshundun said the ministry has scheduled a last-minute meeting with labour leaders that will centre on the pronouncements to be made by President Tinubu during his October 1 Independence Day broadcast.
According to him, Tinubu is expected to unveil the palliative package for workers in the customary presidential speech to commemorate Nigeria’s Independence Day.
Oshundun further said that the minister of labour, Simon Lalong, had met one of the NLC’s demands which was the release of the factional national president of the National Association of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Tajudeen Baruwa, from police custody.
“We will avert the strike. We got the news of their intention to go on strike. They need to be rest assured that there will be a pronouncement in the October 1 speech of Mr President for Nigerian workers,” Oshundun said.
‘’The ministry is working assiduously to meet with the second aspect of the demand which focuses on the wage award. We have already secured the release of the NURTW factional chairman.
“So we hope to invite them on Tuesday following the pronouncement of the president to see reasons for them to call off the strike,” he added.
