The Lagos State Council, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), has urged people not to despair or lose faith in the labour movement over suspension of the much publicised nationwide industrial action. The state Chairman, Mr Gbenga Ekundayo, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen recently in Lagos. He said that expectedly, Lagosians would feel disappointed over the suspended nationwide protest however, they should not despair or lose faith in our labour. Said he: “When labour leaders go into a negotiation, it is for a purpose, and when that purpose is not served, we press home the demands of our own by withdrawing services of our members. “Our national leaders went into further negotiations last night, which lasted till early hours of today.
An understanding has been reached and the strike was called off,” he said. Ekundayo also called on Lagosians, and Nigerians in general to monitor closely how the talks evolve in the next two weeks. The chairman said this will enable the union and Nigerians generally to see where they eventually stand. It was reported that some Civil Society Organisations (CSO), who did not get information about the suspended strike earlier, had gathered for the protest at the Labour House in Yaba area of Lagos. Also peaking, Mr Toyin Raheem, Chairman, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, had expressed bitterness over suspension of the strike. Raheem accused the labour leaders of being insensitive to the plights of Nigerians as a whole.
“For instance, for me, I had sleepless nights trying to organise some of our members; now, when you talk about mobilisation, it involves resources, energy. “I was already on my way to the venue when I heard that the strike had been suspended; I was seriously disturbed. “The labour leaders knew people were being mobilised for the past one week; what I expected labour to have done was to hold the protest for today,” he said. Newsmen report that NLC and TUC suspended the strike scheduled to commence Sept. 28. This followed an agreement reached by the labour leaders with the Federal Government at a meeting
