THE Federal Government has invited organised labour to a meeting in a last-minute bid to stop the planned October 3, 2023 nationwide strike announced by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress on Tuesday.
The two unions had declared an indefinite strike with effect from Tuesday to protest the alleged failure of the FG to provide post-subsidy palliatives for workers, but the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity assured Nigerians it would meet with the leadership of the unions before they shut down the economy.
The spokesperson for the labour ministry, Olajide Oshundun, said the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, would be centred on the pronouncements that would be made by President Bola Tinubu during his October 1 Independence Day broadcast.
Tinubu is expected to unveil the palliative package for workers in the customary presidential speech to commemorate Nigeria’s Independence Day.
Oshundun disclosed in an interview with one of our correspondents, that the two major demands from the unions had been presented to the government.
He said, “We will avert the strike. We got the news of their intention to go on strike. They need to be rest assured that there will be a pronouncement in the October 1 speech of Mr President for Nigerian workers.
On his part, justifying the decision to proceed on strike at the virtual meeting of the National Executive Committee of the NLC held on Tuesday afternoon, Ajaero said the FG had failed to reverse its anti-poor policies characterised by the removal of fuel subsidy earlier this year.
The NEC meeting had in attendance several union leaders, including the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke; the National President, Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions, Prof Theophilus Ndubaku; the National Treasurer of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Mercy Lanka; the General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Ibrahim Bomoi, and others.
The NLC leader told the over 90 participants at the meeting that the walkout would be carried out in collaboration with the TUC which had earlier failed to participate in the two-day strike declared by the NLC on September 5 and 6.
The TUC had said that it was not interested in embarking on any industrial action for now, preferring to give the FG a two-week grace while sustaining its ongoing dialogue with government officials.
But Ajaero explained that the TUC had decided to participate in the strike following a meeting with the leadership of the congress led by its National President, Festus Osifo.
The TUC later endorsed the decision at a joint media briefing held by Ajaero and the TUC president in Abuja on Tuesday.
During the NLC NEC meeting which commenced at 12:32pm with an opening prayer and adoption of motions by representatives of the NLC state councils of Ebonyi and Borno states, Ajaero alleged plans by agents of the government to break the ranks of the congress.
The unionist also noted that there were plans to divide the ranks of the NLC leadership by individuals spreading rumours of a possible compromise by the congress’ leadership.
He stated, “Some people are saying that we have collected money. I have been here for a very long time and I have not encountered such. If anyone has any information, let them come forward and we will investigate.”
Speaking further, Ajaero informed the NEC-in-session of the plans to ground economic activities in the country from Tuesday.
Addressing journalists, Ajaero and Osifo said their unions decided “in the spirit of the Independence Day celebration and to demonstrate our resolve for a truly independent Nigeria to take our destinies in our own hands and rescue our nation.”
Ajaero carpeted the FG over what he described as its lackadaisical stance towards the demands raised by the unions since the subsidy removal policy took effect.
He accused the government of deliberate refusal to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue within the ambit of good faith during the 21-day ultimatum and the two-day nationwide warning strike.
The union leader explained that the national executive councils of the NLC and TUC in their various meetings deeply analysed the current situation in the country, taking into cognisance the hardships and deprivation afflicting the citizens across all the states of the federation.
He said both NECs unanimously condemned the government’s tardiness in handling the consequences of its petrol price hike on Nigerians.
Ajaero also noted that the NLC and the TUC NEC-in-session observed that there was no disagreement between Labour and government on the existence of the massive suffering, impoverishment and hunger in the country as a result of the hike in the price of petrol which he said required an urgent remedial action.
He accused the government of abdicating its responsibility and “had shown gross unwillingness to act, thereby abandoning Nigerian people and workers to excruciating poverty and affliction.”
He stated, “The Federal Government has, therefore, not met in any substantial way the demands of Nigerian workers and peoples as previously canvassed in our mutually agreed roadmap to salvaging the economy and protecting workers and Nigerians from the monumental hardship.
“The grace period given by the two labour centres has expired but the trade unions continue to face severe threat from the state via the brutal and suppressive power of the police and government.
“The National Union of Road Transport Workers office continues to be illegally occupied by the government via the instrumentality of the police who have cloned the leadership of NURTW.’’
‘’The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria continues to be illegally occupied by the Lagos State government in total disregard for the courts and the statutes.
“That the state has continued to blackmail and sponsor serious campaigns of calumny against trade union leaders on social media using its buying and coercive powers instead of making efforts to lift the burden on the masses,” the NLC President alleged without providing any evidence.
Disclosing the decisions jointly taken by the NLC and TUC, Osifo said, ‘’Consequently, the NLC and TUC NEC-in-session resolved as follows: To, in the spirit of the Independence Day celebration and to demonstrate our resolve for a truly independent Nigeria to take our destinies in our own hands and rescue our nation
“To embark on an indefinite and total shutdown of the nation beginning on zero hours Tuesday, the 3rd day of October, 2023; To direct all workers in Nigeria to withdraw their services from their respective workplaces commencing from the 3rd of October.
“We will shut down all banks, airports and every branch of the private sector”, he stated.