The arrival of the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Waba has paid off as the planned protest by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has been called off.

The protest, which was billed for Tuesday, September 8, 2020 in Port Harcourt, has now been put on hold as the Rivers State Government and the organized labour reached a truce late Monday, September 7, 2020.

According to a document released by the two parties and jointly signed by officials of the State Government and organized labour, an 8 point agreement was reached between them to cease hostilities forthwith.

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Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Tammy Danagogo, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, Head of Service, Rufus Godwins, and Executive Assistant to the Governor, Ayebaesin Beredugo signed on behalf of the Rivers State Government.

On the part of labour, NLC’s General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, TUC’s Secretary General, Musa Lawal, Rivers State Chairman of NLC, Beatrice Itubo, Rivers State Chairman of TUC, Austin Jonah, representative of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Chukwu Emecheta, and Secretary General, TUC, Rivers State, Obi Fortune signed for the trade unions.

Top on the list of issues agreed upon were the payment of the new minimum wage, unsealing of NLC secretariat, remittance of check-off dues for the unions, payment of health workers salaries, and suspension of the planned protest action.

Uneasy clam has been the situation in Rivers State leading up to this point with both labour and the government refusing to shift grounds.

The secretariat of the NLC was sealed by the State Government and even the temporary place used for their meetings were attacked by hoodlums suspected to be loyal to those opposed to the Beatrice Itubo leadership of the NLC in the State.