The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has once again given a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu administration, demanding it reverses all recent policies that have exacerbated the suffering of Nigerians or face indefinite industrial action.
Following the conclusion of its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Tuesday, the labor union issued a communiqué, warning that if the Federal Government fails to address the “anti-poor” policies – among them; fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira that have resulted in high cost of living, it will embark on strike starting from Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
The communiqué, co-signed by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and the union’s General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, expressed the NLC’s concern over the Federal Government’s apparent disdain and contempt for the Nigerian people. The union perceives the government’s actions as a deliberate attempt to undermine Nigerian workers and the general populace, hence declaring it a “war of attrition” against them.
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The NLC had last month moved to embark on total industrial action due to the same reasons, but was stopped by the federal government, which secured a court injunction mandating the labor union to abort the proposed strike until the matter is determined by court.
The government set up a committee to address the NLC’s concerns by working out a plan to mitigate the effects of the policies. But the labor union said it has been sidelined by the committee, which is supposed to carry it and the Trade Union Congress along.
“Since the committee was set up to work out the palliatives for workers and Nigerians, the committee hasn’t met. The government only set up the committee to give the impression that it was serious about doing something to ameliorate the pain of Nigerians.
“The government hasn’t convened the meeting of the committee, Labour hasn’t been carried along,” Chris Onyeka, one of the spokespersons of the NLC, told BusinessDay on Wednesday.
After the CWC meeting on Tuesday, the labor union expressed its concern about the impact of the President’s statement on May 29, 2023, declaring that the subsidy on fuel is permanently removed. According to the union, since that speech, “the peace of mind of Nigerians has gone”.
The NLC further said the “government has continued to treat Nigerians as slaves and a conquered people which it treats with impunity without any concern on the consequences”. The union felt that the government’s approach has been insensitive and lacking in consideration for the well-being and welfare of the people.
“That the Federal Government has continued in an unholy mission of robbing the poor to pay the rich in Nigeria as typified by its continued frustration of the activation of the agreed alternatives to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and new hike in prices of PMS to N617 per liter,” the communiqué partly read.
“That the NNPCL (Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited) has turned itself into the forces of demand and supply and fixes the price of Petroleum products while mouthing deregulation.
“That Government’s conduct suggests it does not intend to commit itself to the MoU it signed with NLC and TUC (Trade Union Congress).”
The NLC thereafter released a list of demands it wants the government to meet in order to suspend the proposed strike. Among the demands are: “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld Salary of university lecturers and workers”. It also added “the immediate inauguration of the Presidential Steering Committee.”
The removal of fuel subsidy and the deregulation of the forex market have resulted in a significant spike in petrol prices. This in turn has stoked the cost of goods and services, making life unaffordable for most Nigerians.
The federal government has been dragging its feet in providing palliatives that will ameliorate the impact of the policies. Its plan to disburse N8,000 each to 12 million households, covering about 60 million Nigerians, was met with severe criticism.
However, experts believe that an indefinite strike will further hurt the nation’s crippled economy.