The nationwide indefinite Strike declared by organised labour in Nigeria has been suspended after two days of the action.
The joint National Executive Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and the Trade Union Congress TUC suspended the nationwide strike which entered its second day on Wednesday.
The decision was reached at a meeting that deliberated on the outcome of an earlier interface with the Federal government led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
General Secretary of the NLC, Emma Ugboaja and the 1st Deputy President, TUC, Tommy Okon, confirmed the suspension in Abuja.
Organised labour says it got a commitment from the Nuhu Ribadu-led meeting that those arrested for the physical assault on NLC President, Joe Ajaero, will be prosecuted.
“As part of the take home from the FG meeting, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, promised to bring both parties back to the table to iron out all issues in dispute”.
More significant for the labour movement they said, was the unreserved apology tendered by the NSA on behalf of the Federal government for the brutalisation of the NLC President and other members of Congress.
Recall that the two labour centres in Nigeria, The NLC and the TUC and their affiliate unions had downed tools on Tuesday in nationwide indefinite industrial action to protest the alleged assault of the President of the NLC two weeks ago in Owerri Imo State, where he had gone to lead the workers of that State on a protest against what labour called the anti-workers policies of the State Government.
On Wednesday after releasing a statement appealing to labour to reconsider its stance on the strike due to its impact on Nigerians and the nation, the National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, convened a meeting with the labour leaders to find ways of arresting the impasse.
With the suspension of the strike, workers are expected to resume their normal duties tomorrow Thursday.
Dominica Nwabufo
