15-Point Agreement with FG:Enugu NLC, TUC Leaders Visit Labour and Employment Commissioner

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday visited the Commissioner for Labour and Employment in Enugu State.

The visit comes in the wake of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between organized labour and the Federal Government, which is set to cost the government a staggering N2 trillion.

Comrades Fabian Nwigbo, Ben Asogwa, and Ezekiel Omeh, representing the NLC and TUC, engaged in discussions with the commissioner to discuss the implementation of the federal agreement at the state level.

They expressed their concerns and hopes for a harmonious collaboration between the state and labour unions to ensure that the benefits of the agreement reached at the national level are extended to Enugu State’s workforce.

The Commissioner for Labour and Employment, in response to their concerns, commended the labour unions for their role in averting the recent strike action through constructive dialogue. He assured them that Governor Peter Mbah was deeply committed to the welfare of workers in the state.

The commissioner highlighted some of the governor’s achievements, emphasizing that Governor Peter Mbah had initiated measures to cushion the impact of subsidy removal on Enugu citizens. Notably, the planned deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses for more affordable transportation had been in progress even before the Federal Government’s MOU with labor. This initiative was specifically designed to benefit the state’s workers.

The Commissioner further pointed out that Governor Peter Mbah had successfully cleared outstanding arrears owed to pensioners in the civil service within a few months of taking office. He praised the governor’s dedication to equitably distributing palliatives to vulnerable citizens in the state.

Describing Governor Peter Mbah as a “Labor-friendly governor,” the commissioner stressed that the governor is always willing to listen to the concerns of workers and align Enugu State with any measures taken by the federal government to provide relief to Nigerian workers, both in the short and long term.

In a bid to encourage labour unions to collaborate with the government in boosting the state’s economy, the commissioner urged them to reorient their members towards increased productivity. He emphasized that the state’s workers are a vital resource in driving the economy’s growth, with the potential to elevate it from its current status of $4.4 billion to $30 billion.

The commissioner commended the labour leaders for the amicable relationship between the state government and the labor leadership. He also called for understanding, acknowledging that some of the challenges faced by the government had accumulated over time. He assured the labor unions that Governor Peter Mbah would gradually address these issues step by step.

The NLC and TUC leaders, led by Comrades Fabian Nwigbo, Ben Asogwa, and Ezekiel Omeh, expressed their appreciation to the commissioner for the productive dialogue and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the existing harmony between the state and labor unions.

It would be recalled that the Federal entered into agreement with organized to alleviate the impact of petrol subsidy removal on federal workers and various categories of Nigerians.