The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are facing a tough decision on whether to proceed with their planned nationwide protest or cancel it.
The Federal Government is making efforts to thwart the protest, with the Chief of Staff to the President, Bola Tinubu’s representative, Femi Gbajabiamila, urging the labour unions to call off the proposed strike. He cited palliative measures announced by the President the previous night as reasons to shelve the protest.
He said, “We have laid out the plans, the interventions of Mr. President, as you all heard in his broadcast yesterday, we made it clear that this was just Mr. President’s initial rollout and interventions and that conversations will be ongoing as we go along.
“And we appealed to Labour, we did appeal to labour to call off the protests for tomorrow. We found listening ears here and they did agree that they all accepted that Mr. President’s broadcast was a welcome development and that they will go back home to talk to the other leaders that are not present today. So we’re hopeful that they will do the right thing and call off the strike tomorrow.”
Adding to the complexity, a Coalition of Civil Society Organisations/Labour Centre has cautioned the NLC and TUC against proceeding with the strike.
They expressed concerns about the potential consequences on the nation, fearing that the protest could be hijacked by disgruntled Nigerians benefiting from fuel subsidies, leading to loss of lives and property.
This cautionary message was conveyed in a communique issued after a meeting at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, attended by representatives of various civil society groups.
It was attended by Razak Olokoba of Campaign for Dignity in Governance (CDG), Nelson Ekujumi (Centre for Social and Economic Rights), Titi Akosa (Centre for 21st Century Issues), Linus Okoroji (Humanity Services Project), Raji Rasheed Oyewunmi (Yoruba Citizen Action for Change), Gbenga Soloki (Campaign Against Impunity and Domestic Violence), Razaq Oladosu (Grassroots Democratic Initiatives), Ramat Abdulrazak (Women Grassroot Network), among others.
Furthermore, 16 Northern-based civil society groups under the Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Organisations have also pulled out from supporting the strike, afraid that it could harm the already fragile economy and inflict further hardship on ordinary citizens.
The Federal government, on its part, has pleaded with Organised Labour to suspend the strike, assuring them that they are taking measures to address the hardship caused by the removal of petrol subsidies.
However, the NLC remains adamant and insists on proceeding with the national protest, asserting that the palliatives presented by the President are inadequate to alleviate the suffering in the country.
In a press briefing at the end of the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives, the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, expressed hope that the labour unions would reconsider their decision and call off the planned strike after discussions with absent leaders.
Meanwhile, the NLC, led by its Deputy President, Comrade Titus Amba, maintained that the President’s palliative measures were insufficient to address the issues at hand.
