- * As Youths, Stakeholders Warn FG About Imminent Public Uprising
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-chief)
National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, said on Friday night, that Labour will meet on Tuesday next week (September 26, 2023) to decide on the proposed nationwide strike action, and to also determine its take-off time.
Ajaero made this confirmation in an exclusive telephone chat with NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Newspaper on Friday night.
He made the clarification against the backdrop of trending news reports that the NLC had already declared an indefinite national strike effective Monday next week.
"We will meet on Tuesday to determine the take off time", the Nigeria's number one Labour leader hinted.
To this effect, the NLC in a circular on Friday, September 22, 2023 by its Secretary General, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja Esq, invited all its Chairpersons and Secretaries of State Councils to a virtual Emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on that Tuesday, at 12 noon prompt, to deliberate on all issues regarding the planned industrial dispute.
Labour is mauling the idea of an indefinite national strike following the deadlock of its negotiations with the federal government to accede to its demands on the issue of fuel subsidy withdrawal by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, on assumption of office on May 29 this year.
Among the key demands by the NLC is a 300 per cent salary increase to enable workers to cope with the challenges imposed by the deteriorating economic situation that came with the removal of the controversial fuel subsidy.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) are equally asking for the granting of licences to individuals for modular refineries to refine petrol locally and for government to grant economic stimulus loan to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) at 15 per cent rate.
Labour is also pushing for the government to provide social benefits for the aged and the unemployed youths; to grant agric loans to farmers and youths through the Agric Bank and community banks at single digit rate, and to provide alternative energy supply such as massive investment in solar power and Compressed Natural Gas to motorists.
Also, the Labour union is asking the government to fix the existing refineries; reverse the privatization of electricity back to the state due to poor performance; Execute metro rail line projects in all state capitals and urgently reduce school fees for students of tertiary institutions.
Earlier, Labour had frowned at the N500bn palliative proposed by President Bola Tinubu, stating that it is grossly inadequate to assuage the hardships confronting workers sequel to the fuel subsidy removal. The failure by government to reach a definite agreement on the Labour's set of demands made the workers to embark on a two-day warning strike recently, after which they gave the government a 14-day ultimatum which just elapsed this Friday.
As the Labour leaders are spoiling for a showdown with the federal government next week if their demands are not met, Deputy President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Gabriel Idahosa, urged the Nigerian media and other interest groups to endeavor to sustain the advocacy to ensure that the palliative measures are extended to the public and private sectors.
Idahosa also reasoned that whatever President Tinubu administration implements as palliatives will not be sufficient to wipe out the impact of its two policies — subsidy removal and floating of the currency. "So, it is going to be a partial effort to reduce, not eliminate the effect of those policies", Idahosa stated.
At the level of the ordinary citizens, however, there is a palpable feeling of uncertainty, anxiety, disillusionment, hopelessness and outright panic about the actually direction of the country in the coming years if urgent measures are not taken by the government halt the current axphyxiating trend of hardship and poverty in the country.
A youth student in one of the nation's federal University, Mr Ikemsinachi Robert Okafor, was apparently distressed at the likely disruption of the economic lives of most Nigerians and the nation's economy generally should the government fail to seal a proper deal and striven to keep it, with the leadership of Labour organizations while the window of negotiations still subsist.
He lamented that the present parlous state of the Nigeria's economy can no longer endure further disruption of the system if Labour is allowed to declare an elongated and indefinite trade dispute after the next Tuesday emergency conclave of its National Executive Committee (NEC).
Ikemsinachi Okafor, therefore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to move quickly and douse the present grave tension in the land occasioned by the proposed Labour strike and the severe economic hardship prevailing in the country. He warned the government of the dangers in ignoring obvious red flags in a distraught, hungry citizens of a nation and her disoriented youths.
Meanwhile, as Labour is set to mobilize for a possible total national shutdown of economic activities and render the country paralytic in the coming weeks, it's sister Labour group, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has declared a one-day protest in Lagos State, scheduled to hold on Monday, September 25, 2023.
President of the TUC, Comrade Festus Osifo, revealed at a press briefing on Friday in Lagos, that the protest is ahead of the NLC's planned strike to protest against “the Lagos State Government’s clampdown on the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN)”. The RTEAN is one of the affiliates of the TUC.
Recall that the Lagos Government had, in May this year, filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal in the state to challenge the judgment of the National Industrial Court which nullified the state government’s appointment of a caretaker committee on transportation.
The National Industrial Court in Lagos had on April 18, ordered the reinstatement of the operations of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria in Lagos State and nullified the state government’s appointment of a caretaker committee on transportation. (Additional reports from the punch and the conclaveng.com). NNL.
