The Federal Government on Thursday assured the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, that it would not go back on its promises to workers, even as it dismissed allegation that it did not keep to its promises.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal while reacting to the threat by the organised labour to go on strike over the alleged government failure to honour agreements it entered into with the unions and the hardship the citizens are going through.
The minister urged the two labour centres to attend a roundtable discussion in order to find peaceful solutions to any disagreements, telling them that going on strike was not in anyone’s best interest.
The minister was responding to questions from State House Correspondents on Thursday.
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 centers expressed sadness that despite efforts by the Organised Labour at ensuring industrial peace, the government appeared unperturbed over the mass suffering and hardship across the country.
But reacting to the news, 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.”
Reminded that labour accused the government of being in the habit of not keeping to agreements with unions, Idris said, “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.”
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