The Federal Government has denied claims by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) that it fails to uphold agreements reached with labour unions.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the statement on Thursday in response to a threatened nationwide strike by the unions over alleged broken promises and worsening economic hardship.

“We appeal with labour to always see reason with the government,” Idris said. “It is not in anyone’s interest for the labour to continue to go on strike.” He urged the unions to return to the negotiating table and engage in open discussions to address any outstanding concerns related to previous agreements.

The Minister also addressed accusations of broken promises. He said, “No, I think government keeps its promises. If there are other things that they (NLC, TUC) think they are concerned about, I think that they will sit down with government and government is ever ready to listen to labour so that we can have an amicable resolution to all these.”

This response comes after the NLC and TUC issued a 14-day strike notice to the government, citing the non-implementation of a 16-point agreement reached in October 2023 and the worsening economic situation causing widespread suffering. The unions expressed disappointment with the government’s apparent lack of concern for the hardships faced by citizens.