By Henry  Umoru, ABUJA

The Senate has mandated the President of the Senate, Godswill  Akpabio and the entire leadership of the upper chamber to interface between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Federal Government to avert the intending strike of the NLC.

Meanwhile, Senator Akpabio has said that their earnings here at the National Assembly were not enough to take care of themselves.

The resolution of the Senate on Monday  was a sequel to a motion titled, “Urgent Need to Avert the Intending Strike of the Nigeria Labour Congress,”

The motion was sponsored by Senator  Kawu Suleiman Abdulrahman, NNPP, Kano South.

Presenting the motion, Senator Abdulrahman said that the Senate “Notes that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to

Reverse what the union termed as “anti-poor policies or face an indefinite nationwide strike from Wednesday 2nd August 2023;

“Also notes that the NLC has directed all its affiliates and state councils to immediately begin mobilization of workers and other Nigerians, including civil society allies, for a long-lasting strike and mass protests;

Aware that the labour movement in a statement signed by its National President accused the Federal

Government of failing to meet up with the demands it presented to it following the removal of the subsidy on petrol, which caused an astronomical rise in the pump price of the commodity;

“Disturbed that the strike would cripple the country as movement would be severely curtailed as commercial transport operators would withdraw their services, while markets, schools and healthcare facilities would be forced to shut down;

“Further disturbed that the action could heat up the polity when it occurred, and the gains from the strike are far below the costs to either of the parties in conflict;

“Reflects that the strike threat by the NLC, if not averted, could plunge Nigeria into deeper economic woes, dislocate businesses, hunger, frustration, more hardship that would lead to unquantified financial losses and reduce Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP);

“Further aware that NLC strike is also a bad reputation for the Nigerian economy and the educational system because it portrays the country in a bad light to the external world and discourages foreigners from coming to do business or study in Nigeria;

“Concerned that the society always bears the brunt of strikes, like the saying that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop, increase in crime rate, and social vices like armed robbery, oil bunkering, prostitution, cyber scams, etc.”