The Federal Government has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to rescind its opposition to the registration of two new academic unions in the Nigerian public university system.

Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, made the call in a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, Head, Press and Public Relations, in the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new unions are the Congress for Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and the Nigeria Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA).

NAN reports that CONUA and NAMDA received letters of recognition recently by the ministry in Abuja.

However, in a letter to Ngige, the President of NLC, Mr Ayuba Wabba, demanded for the withdrawal of the letters issued to the unions, is on the grounds that their registration contravened the laws guiding trade unionism.

Ngige, in his reply, on Oct, 12, had appealed to NLC to allow the new unions to exist in the spirit of Freedom of Association.

The minister insisted that the Trade Dispute Act 2004 gives him the sole power to register new trade unions, either by registering a new union or regrouping existing ones.

He reiterated that the new unions were offshoots or by-products of regrouping and their applications were considered by two committees of his ministry.

He said that this was with the Registrar of Trade Unions participating when the first recommendation for approval was given in 2019, and again in 2022.