I need more time - Tinubu begs Labour to shelve planned strike

<p>Tinubu said he was completely unaware of the demands made by the organised Labour.</p>, <span>President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Punch</span>, <h2>President Bola Tinubu has pleaded with organised Labour to give him more time to take a comprehensive look into their demands rather than proceeding with the planned industrial action.</h2>, <p>The President's message was delivered by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, after emerging from a meeting with Tinubu on the night of Wednesday, July 26, 2023.</p>, <p>The Speaker had led the House leadership to brief the President on the outcome of their engagement with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which has declared a nationwide strike action.</p>, <p>Abbas told State House correspondents that Tinubu said he was new in office and needed more time to evaluate the demands put forward by the workers.</p>, <p>He also quoted the President to have said that he was yet to be briefed about the grievances expressed by the organised Labour.</p>, <p>“What he said is that he’s just coming on board. We should ask them and beg them to please give him a little more time.</p>, <p>“The things that they mentioned, he is completely unaware of them; he has yet to be briefed about all those issues.</p>, <p>“But from what he heard from me, he also advised that we should channel those issues to the Chief of Staff to look at one after the other.</p>, <p>“I believe in the coming days, some concerted actions will be taken,” Abbas said.</p>, <p>The Speaker disclosed that the House leadership succeeded in persuading the resident doctors to shelve their planned strike action as earlier threatened.</p>, <p>“Sequel to the meeting we had with them, there were a series of conditions that they gave, that we felt we need to share with the President,” he added.</p>, <p>Abbas said the purpose of the visit to the Presidential Villa on Wednesday night was to update the President on the progress made with the aggrieved doctors.</p>