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From Ndubuisi Orji and Fred Itua, Abuja
The leadership of the National Assembly, on Sunday night, appealed to the organised labour to suspend its planned industrial action over a new minimum wage and continue its negotiation with the Federal Government.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and speaker of the House of Representatives,Tajudeen Abbas, made the appeal, after a closed door meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress ( NLC) and Trade Union Congress ( TUC) .
Akpabio, while briefing journalists, after the closed door meeting, said.”we decided to intervene because we are a peoples parliament. The 10th national Assembly believe strongly that anything that will bring more yoke, more suffering to the people of Nigeria must be avoided.
” We also know it is not also a question of strike. In wards, where the hospital are closed, most poor people will die. Those on oxygen will die. Goods and services will not move freely. Productivity will reduce drastically.”
Nevertheless, the labour leaders said it is not in the place to call off the industrial action, noting that they will report back to their various organs.
The TUC President, Festus Osifo said “it is not possible for us to sit here and call off the industrial action, because there was condition precedent given to us by our men. We have listened to them and we will take their plea to our organ. For now, we don’t have the power to call off the industrial action. The industrial action will continue.”
