The Federal Executive Council (FEC) granted approval on Wednesday for a 30-day implementation plan of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and Organized Labor.
In addition, the government is taking measures to prevent external interference in union activities by outside entities.
This development followed a meeting between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, and the Minister of State, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, with the factional leaderships of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Minister Lalong disclosed that a memorandum had been presented to the council regarding the agreement with labor.
He stated, “We presented a memorandum from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, which primarily concerned the agreement between the government and labor. This agreement consists of 15 key elements.
“But this time, we went beyond the agreement itself. We informed them that a significant aspect of the agreement involves filing it in a court of law, a process we have already initiated. The other significant element is presidential approval, and there is no higher authority for such approval than the Federal Executive Council.
We carefully analyzed each aspect of the agreement to demonstrate its authenticity and its role in promoting harmonious and productive industrial relations. As a result, the memorandum was presented and approved for implementation.
“It was agreed that evidence of implementation must be provided within 30 days. This served as the basis for presenting the memorandum to the Federal Executive Council, which also granted its approval. Over the next 30 days, we will proceed with the implementation of the agreement between labor and the government.”
Regarding item six of the MoU, which pertains to alleged government interference in the activities of the democratically elected leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the mandate to resolve the crisis within the union by October 13, Minister Lalong reported that he had already engaged with various factions.
He elaborated, “Item six of the MoU specifically addresses interference in issues related to road transport workers. Immediately the following day, we initiated meetings between the two organizations.
“Today, they have already reached an agreement, and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) is submitting their report to the ministry because they, too, reached an agreement. We will also be in contact with their parent association.
“The next focus is the NURTW. Last week, we held discussions with them. We postponed further discussions because they requested more time to adhere to the agreement’s objectives. So, we rescheduled the meeting to tomorrow, and today, we will receive their report. By God’s grace, in the next few days, we will resolve these issues.
“The reason we presented these matters to the Federal Executive Council is to emphasize that we no longer wish to tolerate interference in union activities. Those pending issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and our objective is to resolve conflicts. We will continue to do so, and these two specific items, as highlighted, are well on their way to resolution.”
