By Nurat Uthman
The National Economic Council has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress to wait for the October 1 Independence Day broadcast by President Bola Tinubu.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, made the appeal on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents shortly after the NEC meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said Tinubu would address their demands, among other issues in his Independent speech on Sunday.
He urged the leadership of the organised labour “to be patient with the Federal Government and give more time for dialogue.”
The labour union had earlier insisted that there was no agreement reached with the Nigerian government to postpone the indefinite strike slated to begin next Tuesday.
This had been mentioned in a statement issued by the NLC’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, Mr Benson Upah.
He revealed that no meetings with the government that could lead to suspending the proposed strike had been scheduled.
The statement reads: “Accordingly, we find it necessary to make clarifications. Firstly, we do not have any agreement with the government to suspend the planned strike action. Neither do we have any date for a meeting with the government that may lead to the suspension of the proposed strike.
“While we do not intend to demean or minimise the Minister of Labour and Employment office, this matter is beyond the ministry. This should have been obvious to them during our most recent meeting.
“Secondly, while we appreciate the role played by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, in securing the release of the executives of the National Union of Road Transport Workers from unlawful/illegal police detention, we take exception to the ministry describing these executives as factional leaders,” the statement added.
