‘It’ll aggravate a bad situation’ — Abbas asks NLC to shelve planned strike

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, has asked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its planned strike.

The speaker made the appeal on the floor of the green chamber on Tuesday as the house resumed plenary following an eight-week recess.

Early this month, NLC embarked on a two-day warning strike over the impact of the petrol subsidy removal on the masses.

Workers in some states fully complied with the strike order as activities in government institutions were grounded, while partial compliance was observed in some states.

The NLC had vowed to proceed on an indefinite strike after a 21-day ultimatum which expires today.

Abbas said embarking on a strike at this point would only aggravate the nation’s “already bad situation”.

The speaker asked the union to consider the plight of Nigerians, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet.

“On account of these economic challenges, the organised labour under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) seems to have lost patience with the painstaking effort of the government to plan and provide sustainable minimum wage and palliatives to citizens,” he said.

“The organised labour, it appears, would embark on a nationwide strike by this midnight following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum issued to the government.

“As the peoples’ representatives, we feel and equally share in the pains of our people at these very difficult times.

“It is our considered opinion that embarking on a nationwide strike at this point will only aggravate an already bad situation.

“I therefore urge the leadership of labour unions to give us the benefit of doubt and suspend any planned strike action while we engage the executive.

“However, I would like to appeal to the Nigeria Labour Congress to consider the various actions being taken by the federal government to alleviate the current hardship faced by Nigerians.

“As promised earlier, this House remains committed to getting a survival wage for all Nigerian workers.”

Abbas said parliament will interface with organised labour and the federal government to “quickly work out a realistic” new national minimum wage and other palliatives, in order to enable citizens cope with the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal, a slump in the value of the naira and spiralling inflation.

Abbas asked his colleagues to prioritise the needs of their constituents and to be committed in promoting good governance, social justice, and economic growth.