By Aliyu DANLADI
A Lagos lawmaker, Mr Olusegun Olulade, on Tuesday commended the Federal Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Organised Private Sector (OPS), for reaching a truce on the proposed new minimum wage, which averted a nationwide strike.
Olulade, representing Epe Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly gave the commendation in Lagos.
The lawmaker applauded the NLC for displaying understanding with the government and suspending its planned strike.
He noted that the country would have been put on a hold if the strike had commenced as earlier planned by the unions.
Olulade said: “The country’s economy, which is just recovering and trying to stabilise after it had been mismanaged for 16 years by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would have been made to suffer.
“The citizens would have also been affected if the nationwide strike had commenced.
“Everyone involved in this (the truce) should be commended; I don’t want to imagine what Nigerians would have gone through if a respite had not been reached.
“Every sector would have been made to suffer while Nigerians would also have been made to go through some hardship.
“Now that an agreement has been reached, I want to appeal to everyone involved in this matter to fulfil their parts, especially the Federal Government should do everything humanly possible to honour whatever agreement it has reached with the union in order for us not to go back to square one.
“Also, the NLC should look at other means of resolving disputes whenever they arise, instead of embarking on nationwide strike, as this will only mount a big pressure on an economy which we are just trying to stabilise,” Olulade said.
The organised labour had threatened to commence a nationwide strike on Tuesday to press home its demand for N30,000 as minimum wage.
The labour leaders, government representatives and the organised private sector spent many hours on Monday to reach a consensus on the issue, which averted the strike.
