Following the sudden withdrawal of the organised labour from its plans to protest fuel subsidy removal by proceeding on strike on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, a cross-section of civil servants, artisans and other Nigerians accused the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of selling out over the resolutions reached with the federal government on the matter.
The two labour unions, NLC and TUC, had on Monday, June 7, 2023 secured what they described as “seven key agreements” with the federal government before suspending their planned nationwide strike.
Reading out the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting with the labour unions, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who led the government side said seven resolutions were reached to address the situation, including that the federal government, the TUC and the NLC would establish a joint committee to review the proposal for any wage increase or award and establish a framework and timeline for implementation.
Nigerians, who are not workers in the formal sector and therefore not likely to benefit from the palliatives proposed at the meeting, have condemned the failure of the labour unions to represent their interests. They include tailors, cold drink vendors, and barbing saloon operators whose businesses require the use of petrol that hitherto sold for between N195 and N220 per litre but now sells for between N537 and N550 per litre.
Speaking for its Abuja branch, the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) said the cost of transportation to and from construction sites, after oil subsidy removal, has put the survival of artisans, engineers, craftsmen and technicians on the edge.
Most Nigerians expressed disappointment when the organised labour back-pedalled from embarking on its first major national strike in eight years, hours before the strike was due to commence. Many Nigerians believed it was unlike the NLC and TUC they previously knew to cave in after they convinced millions of Nigerians that they would act on their behalf.
Meanwhile, the renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has filed a motion asking the National Industrial Court to vacate the order stopping the planned industrial action over the fuel subsidy removal. It would be recalled that Justice Olufunke Anuwe had on June 5 restrained the NLC from embarking on the strike due to its implications for the country. The orders of the court followed an ex parte application by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice seeking to stop the planned strike against the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Defending its actions against condemnations from the public, the labour union leaders said they shelved the planned nationwide industrial action because they recognised the willingness of the government to continue the dialogue for a way forward.
Ajaero of NLC and Ugboaja of TUC, respectively, made the clarification and said the step they took to avert the strike action was not because of the court injunction procured by the government to stop them, but in consideration of “the mood of the socio-polity during the last elections and the need to pursue national stability.”
Ajaero, however, added that the federal government was in breach of the 2023 Appropriation Act because the budget covers subsidies till the end of June.
Nigerians who believe organised labour has always been on their side felt abandoned this time because they expected the labour leaders to get back to Nigerians through leaders of affiliate unions before shelving the strike. This is even as several affiliate unions including the Nigerian Union of Journalists had instructed their members to stay away from work on the day the strike was due to start. Nigerians actually expected counter arguments from the labour leaders against the government’s position on the strike.
Another source of concern in the current situation is the failure of labour leaders to look beyond salary increases in their demands from government. The greater percentage of Nigerians is outside of the public service workforce. Again, labour unions should be seen to be serious in their demands; avoiding requests such as salary or promotion arrears and other unachievable demands such as 4,000 electricity megawatts.
When it comes to palliatives, too, labour should be realistic and ask for concrete interventions that will support Nigerians in terms of transportation, health, education and agriculture. Corruption-based initiatives such as conditional cash transfers should not be part of the organised labour’s demands.
The lack of concrete pledge from government in the current circumstance sprouts from the failure of labour leaders, as part of their mandate, of putting the necessary pressure on it. After all, strike is a contest of ideas which labour should struggle to win at every attempt.
Labour is, conventionally, an intellectual movement that partly exists to protect, preserve and advance the rights of citizens. This must be seen to reflect the proceedings of the next meeting scheduled to hold on June 19, 2023, between labour unions and the government.
It must be stated clearly that Nigerians are reeling from the economic shocks of the subsidy removal and are looking up to organised labour to give them quality representation as it meets with government on this matter. Labour must not disappoint.
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