Jonathan to labour: Stop punishing Nigerians with strikes

President Goodluck Jonathan on
Thursday cautioned labour unions
against punishing Nigerians with
“unnecessary industrial actions.”
Specifically, the President
wondered why the Petroleum and
Natural Gas Senior Staff Association
of Nigeria and the Nigerian Union of
Petroleum and Natural Gas workers
would embark on a nationwide
strike over issues involving an oil
worker and his employer.
Jonathan, at the commencement of
a housing scheme for workers in
Abuja, said he believed that labour
needed to explore all avenues for
resolving conflicts before
embarking on strike.
The President said, “We believe
that before declaring an industrial
action, all avenues for resolving it
must be exploited. We are smiling
today because we passed through
some painful negotiations. Nothing
good comes easy. So, for us to
smile, there must be some painful
things to pass through.
“If there are issues, let us discuss.
This administration means well for
everybody. This administration
believes that the country belongs
to all of us. That I am the President
today does not make me feel like I
have a stake in Nigeria more than
the man working in the garden. We
all have equal stake in Nigeria.
“I beg Nigerians to allow me to
serve for a period and go and this
will not make me more important
than any other Nigerian. Therefore,
what is painful to the worker is also
painful to us. Let us negotiate, let
us discuss and make sure we don’t
punish our people more by
unnecessary industrial actions over
issues that can be resolved.”
Jonathan said he always called on
labour leaders to work and partner
his government for the interest of
workers.
He said, “Whenever there is a crisis,
it is the workers that suffer. If there
is a little problem, we should be
able to resolve it peacefully. But
when workers now go to the
extreme and declare war, it is the
workers that suffer the most.
“Nigerian workers in all the states
of the federation and local
governments are paying more for
transport to go to work because of
the current strike by oil workers.
“Their children also pay more to go
to school. Their wives and relations
pay more to go to the market and
other places. Who loses more? It is
the workers.”
Oil workers under PENGASSAN and
NUPENG commenced an indefinite
strike in a bid to push for the
implementation of their demands
from the Federal Government