Senate Makes Last Pitch To Avert Strike, Begs Labour
ABUJA, July 19, (THEWILL) - The Senate today appealed to Nigerian workers to shelve the planned warning strike, which is billed to commence nationwide on Wednesday, July 20, 2011.
Senators also announced they would meet with security chiefs next week for an update on the Boko Haram criminality in the North, particularly in Borno State.
The Senate declared that such gesture of calling off the strike less than twenty four hours to its commencement would give both sides a conducive avenue for a resolution of the differences between governments and workers adding that an atmosphere must exist for talks to continue as a strike may compromise the process.
Briefing journalists at the end of the plenary, Senate Majority Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba also said the Senate appeals to Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to give the dialogue with the Federal Government a chance.
“I want to appeal on behalf of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the NLC that since they are already in talks with Federal Government they should suspend the planned strike to give both sides conducive opportunity for a resolution to be arrived at, an atmosphere must exist for the talks to continue and proceeding with the strike at this point when they are already talking will compromise the process.
“We appeal to the NLC to give the ongoing dialogue with the FG a chance and that the strike should be suspended until it is clear that no further progress can be made with the talk, if there are chances that this matter can be amicably resolved, going on strike while dialogue is in process will be inimical not only to the process itself, but to our economy and the workers they are speaking for,” he said.
On the issue of Borno state Ndoma-Egba said; “You remember we had a closed session with security chiefs and we were assured that certain steps are being taken. In the next few days Senate will be meeting with the security chiefs for an update, but we are grateful that normalcy is returning to Borno State and we are also hoping that this normalcy will endure, we will be engaging the security chiefs in the next few days,” he added.