Strike: Labour, Nigerian Govt urged to embrace dialogue

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) has advised organised labour and the Federal Government to embrace dialogue while discussing on how best to tackle the issue of the National Minimum wage.

The President of the Association, Mr Chinedu Okonkwo, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

He said that both parties must find a way to resolve the disagreement amicably and urged them to work in the interest of the country.

“We want peace to reign, both the labour unions, workers and government must try and understand each other in this issue,” he said.
Commenting on why marketers shun the strike, he said “we are business men, any day we don’t sell our products, we lose a lot.

“We are not against what the labour is doing, but we want peace and that is why we say that both parties should embrace peace for the interest of Nigerians.

Most filling stations in Abuja were open for business, against the labour union directive to shutdown in support of the agitation for increase in minimum wage.

The organised labour began a warning strike midnight on Wednesday to press home the implementation of the new national minimum wage.