NLC To Suspend Strike Action Against CBN, FG Intervenes In Dispute

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will suspend the planned strike slated for Wednesday, 29 March 2023.

Ngige revealed at the weekly ministerial briefing at the state house in Abuja on Tuesday, 28 March 2023, that the leadership of the NLC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) met following the intervention of the Federal Government.

Prime Business Africa previously reported that the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, directed workers to stay at home as well as shut down all CBN branches on Wednesday.

Two days before the proposed strike, the government met with the CBN and NLC to prevent the shutdown which will disrupt the activities of the central bank.

The NLC planned to protest against the CBN’s refusal to release old Naira notes to commercial banks for disbursement to the public. 

Recall that the Supreme Court had ruled that the old Naira notes remain legal till 31 December 2023, voiding the CBN’s decision to phase it out on 10 February 2023. 

Despite the judgement of the Supreme Court, the central bank withheld the old Naira notes for three weeks, prompting the workers union to call on its members to picket the CBN branches. 

Speaking on the strike, Ngige said after the meeting, there’s no longer a strike issue but concern about the implementation of disbursement. 

Ngige said the NLC leadership will meet with the national executive council on Tuesday to review the situation and deliberate on the discussion had with the CBN and FG. 

“They said they will call up their national executive council meeting because the initial decision to give that ultimatum was given by this same council. 

“Members of the council reside in the states and in the local governments so they will come up today, which is Tuesday, the 28th, to review the situation because much as it is, the important thing is that we have emphasised to them that we have apprehended this dispute. 

“By section 7:8 of trade dispute act, once the minister apprehends and starts conciliation on it, you maintain status quo ante bellum. So they have gone back now to review the situation. If they’re not satisfied with what they see, they will come back to me and I will invite the CBN again. 

“But for now, the issue of discussion is no longer strike, the issue of discussion is implementation and how far it is gone and how far it affects Nigerian workers and the general population. 

“So that is it, the final decision will be done today by NEC and they will then do a resolution, of course, inform me and CBN what their resolution is. But like I said, we have apprehended and we are now conciliating,” Ngige said.