Leaders of organised Labour failed to show up at a meeting with the Federal Government, which was called to try to avert the strike that has been scheduled to commence on Tuesday next week.

The meeting had been slated to take place at 3 p m on Friday in the chief of staff’s office to the president inside the presidential villa in Abuja.

But as of 5.30 pm, no members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had showed up even though the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, was on hand.

Recall that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had directed their affiliate bodies to commence the nationwide industrial action on October 3, saying it would be a total shutdown of the system until the government takes steps to attend to their demands.

The unions had posited in a joint statement on September 26: “It’s going to be a total shutdown…until the government meets the demand of Nigerian workers, and in fact Nigerian masses.

The Federal Government has refused to meaningfully engage and reach agreements with organised Labour on critical issues of the consequences of the unfortunate hike in the price of petrol, which has unleashed massive suffering on Nigeria workers and masses.”

It was not clear why the labour stayed away or whether the meeting has been rescheduled for another date. (Nigerian Tribune)