Strike: Nigerian Government Invites Labour Unions for Discussion
By Temitope Mustapha, Abuja
The Nigerian Government has invited the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), to meet with the government for a round table discussion, so as to arrive at amicable resolutions to any differences.
The government has also said that the insinuations that it doesn’t keep to it’s promises to the labour unions is untrue.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal while reacting to the threat by the organised labour to embark on strike over alleged government failure to honour agreements it entered into with the unions and the current economic challenges facing the country.
Recall that the NLC and TUC had issued 14 day nationwide strike notice to the federal government over the worsening suffering in the country and the non-implementation of 16-point agreement entered into in October 2, 2023.
The leadership of the two labour groups expressed displeasure that despite efforts by the Organised Labour towards ensuring industrial peace, the government seems not to care over the mass suffering and hardship across the country.
Reacting to the threat to embark on strike, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris said, “Well, we appeal with labour to always see reason with the government. It is not in government’s interest for the labour to continue to go on strike.
“We appeal with labour, let them come again, around the table to continue to have engagements and conversations around whatever gray areas they think they have in some of these agreements that have already been signed.”
Recall that the labour unions accused the government of being in the habit of not keeping to agreements with unions, however, the Minister disagreed saying, “no, I think government keeps its promises. If there are other things that they (NLC, TUC) think they are concerned about, I think that they will sit down with government and government is ever ready to listen to labour so that we can have an amicable resolution to all these.”
