Just days before the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) set to initiate an indefinite nationwide strike, the Federal Government has retracted the contempt charges it had filed against the NLC, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), and their respective leaders.

This decision comes in response to the demand from the NLC to withdraw the contempt summons or face a widespread strike.

In a letter sent by the Ministry of Justice, the solicitor general of the federation officially confirmed the withdrawal of charges, signaling a step toward facilitating smoother negotiations.

Notably, high-level talks are scheduled for Tuesday, as the leadership of NLC and TUC engage with President Bola Tinubu’s team to navigate the path forward amidst the fuel subsidy removal and the modalities for the palliatives.

This reversal of the government’s stance indicates the willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with the labor unions. The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, acknowledged the receipt of the Ministry of Justice’s letter, which paves the way for crucial negotiations to address the concerns raised by the labour organizations.

On July 26, NLC issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to reverse all “anti-poor” and “insensitive” policies.The policies, the union said, include the recent hike in the price of petrol, and the sudden increase in public school fees, among others.

The labour movements warned that they would go on strike and mass protests if the government failed to hearken to their demands.

However, the federal government said the unions were restrained by an order of the national industrial court from embarking on any industrial action regarding the removal of the petrol subsidy.

The government also said the order prohibited the NLC and affiliates from holding protests across the country.

Despite the government’s stance, organised labour led its members to nationwide protests.

Consequently, the federal government initiated contempt proceeding against the unions for allegedly defying the order restraining them from embarking on industrial action.