Sultan implores labour to call off strike

Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad, the Sultan of Sokoto, has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to call off its ongoing nationwide strike. 

The Sultan said this in a statement issued on Sunday. 

Labour is asking for a new minimum wage and a reversal of the hike in electricity tariff. Negotiations between the federal government and labour on the minimum wage have been deadlocked so far.

“The labour leaders should consider the overbearing effects of the strike action they plan to embark upon in the wellbeing of the same Nigerians, whose interest they are fighting to protect, and therefore shelve the industrial action,” the statement reads.

Abubakar, who is also the president of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), urged labour leaders not to be weary of negotiations.

“We appeal to Labour not to take the nation through another leg of hardship because that exactly is what will happen, if they make good their plan to go on this strike,” he added.

“They should try to listen to the government while the government should listen to them and both parties arrive at a conclusion that will be beneficial to all Nigerians with the working class inclusive.

“You are doing what is right for your class of fellow workers but you should do it within the ambit of compassion and see strike always as the last option.”