By Charles Okonji
Following the wave of current tension in the country occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Federal Government, the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has appealed to both on the Federal Government and the Labour Unions to work assiduously to avert disruption of socioeconomic activities.
The OPSN which comprises five business membership organizations, namely: Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA); Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA); The Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) and Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) stated this through Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the Director-General , Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
According to Ajayi-Kadir, “The OPSN has followed keenly, the developments emanating from the recent call by the National Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) for a nationwide peaceful protest or rally. The protest is scheduled for Wednesday 2nd August 2023. It would appear that the series of consultations between the Federal Government and the Labour Union have not yielded positive results and the latter has resolved to go ahead with the protest.
“While recognizing the right of the Labour Union to pursue the welfare of its members, we continue to implore the Government to employ its best endeavours to reengage the leadership of the Unions and find an amicable ground to avert the imminent disruption in business activities that will attend the protest.
“We opine that adequate consideration should be given to the dire state of the economy and the possible unintended social unrest that may result from the protests.
“We call on our members to be circumspective in their business operations, as we await the outcome of ongoing consultations between the Government and the labour Unions.”
