By Ted shepherd

Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has expressed the union’s frustration with the Ministry of Labour’s repeated promises to soon address their demands.

The TUC’s demands encompass wage awards for civil servants to alleviate the challenges brought about by the removal of fuel subsidies, tax exemptions for specific worker categories, and the establishment of effective structures for implementing the government’s palliative measures.

Previously, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, had assured Nigerian workers that the government would promptly resolve the wage award issue. He also urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to reconsider their planned indefinite strike and allow the government to address all outstanding matters.

However, during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, Osifo emphasized that the union now seeks concrete actions.

He stated, “In our recent meeting with the Ministry of Labour, they reiterated that the president was out of the country and that when he returns, they anticipate he will make an announcement. But today, I saw in the news that he mentioned the announcement would come ‘soon.’ We are weary of ‘soon’; we demand a definitive announcement, a concrete solution to these ongoing issues.”

Osifo further added, “We’ve heard numerous dates, promises of today, tomorrow, or the day after, and we have grown weary of promises. All we seek now is action.”