Strike: LCCI urges FG, labour to reach mutual agreement

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry has appealed to the Federal Government and the Organised Labour to reach a mutual understanding to avert the proposed workers strike scheduled for November 6.

The Director-General of LCCI, Mr Muda Yusuf, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos.

Yusuf said that if the strike goes on, it would disrupt lots of economic activities and a lot of people in the informal sector who live on daily income would be affected.

“Conferences and meetings that have been scheduled will also be affected and at the end of the day, it is the citizens that will bear the brunt of the strike,” he said.

He said that the chamber was optimistic of a truce at the end of Monday’s meeting between the two parties.

“The demand of labour is very simple, that the report of the tripartite committee be submitted to the president, and I listened to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation yesterday saying they are ready to take the report and follow through from there.

“Since that is what the labour has been clamouring for, our appeal is that it shows some understanding and allow the process go through,” he said.

The LCCI boss noted that an order by the National Industrial Court that says that the strike be put on hold should be respected.

“It is not in the interest of anyone to have situations where court orders are not obeyed. I have heard some labour leaders say that even the government does not obey court orders, but two wrongs do not make a right,” he said.

Yusuf urged government to accede to the demands of labour, adding that the demands were very genuine and legitimate.

“Labour has a strong point, N30,000 is not too much as minimum wage, it is about eighty dollars per month,” he said.

Credit: NAN.