NLC reveals next step on nationwide strike after meeting with FG

……President of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, speaking on behalf of Organized Labour, has insisted that the nationwide strike, scheduled to commence on Wednesday, August 2, to protest the hardship imposed on Nigerians with the hike in price of petroleum products and the confusion which has defined the roll out of much anticipated Federal Government palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, will go on as planned.

The unions, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), spoke after a rescheduled meeting with government representatives at the presidential villa on Monday.

The unions expressed doubt regarding the ability of President Bola Tinubu to effectively control inflation and gasoline prices due to the unification of the exchange rate, even as they hinted at the un-seriouness and insincerity of the FG negotiating team and the suspicion,,,,,,that the present administration may be reluctant or totally incapable to deliver comprehensive palliatives to suffering Nigerians.

The dialogue between the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria and the Federal Government team, led by Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, which was rescheduled to today after the Labour team walked out of the meeting on Friday, has now been adjourned to Tuesday, August 1st, 12pm, for continued deliberations. to enable both parties try once more, to reach a satisfactory agreement and prevent the strike; a resolution which is seeming very unlikely, given the body language and uncompromising rhetoric of the Labour representatives.

,,,,,Present at today’s meeting are President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, his counterpart from TUC, Festus Osifo, the General Secretary of NLC, Comrade Emma Ugbaja, the TUC Secretary, Nuhu Toro and other members of the organised labour delegation including Prof. Sam Amadi.

From the side of government are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari and the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen among others.

Senate Moves To Prevent Strike, Seeks Interface with NLC

,,,,,Godswill Akpabio – Wike’s ministerial screening
Godswill Akpabio, Nigeria Senate President
And in a related development, the Nigerian Senate, on Monday, 31st July, directed its leadership to meet with the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress to avert the impending nationwide strike action.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who spoke after plenary, said that the Senate will interface with the NLC and the federal government to avert Wednesday’s protest over fuel subsidy removal.

Senator Akpabio also urged states and local government councils to support the federal government in alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians.

,,,,,Senators who contributed to the debate on the motion moved by Senator Sulaiman Kawu (Kano South), appealed to the Federal Government to immediately come up with a comprehensive palliatives to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal.

They also appealed to the leadership of the NLC to halt the strike pending when the Senate would interface with the executive arm of government on the matter.

STRIKE IS ILLEGAL – Solicitor General

Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor General of Nigeria

Meanwhile and even as negotiations are still ongoing administratively, the legal arm of the federal government has equally insisted that the planned strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and organized Labour, against the removal of the petrol subsidy and the high cost of living in the country, is a violation of an existing court order, as the union has been restrained by an order of the national industrial court, from embarking on any strike regarding the removal of petrol subsidy.

It would be recalled….that Femi Falana, a human writes lawyer, commenting on the issue, in a letter addressed to Beatrice Jedy-Agba, solicitor-general of the federation, said the strike action does not translate into contempt of court.

Falana asserted that neither the court nor any other organ had granted an order of interim, interlocutory or perpetual injunction restraining Nigerian workers from participating in peaceful rallies convened by the NLC, even as he posted in his letter, that it is the constitutional right of workers to protest peacefully.

,,,,,But, in swift response contained in another letter, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the solicitor-general, on Monday, 31st July, asked Falana to advise the union to shelve the planned strike on the ground that the subject matter which is the major cause of the strike, is subjudice.

Jedy-Agba also stated that from the communique issued by the NLC, the planned strike goes beyond a peaceful protest as it intends to “ground the government by endangering public peace, instilling fear in the masses.

“We assert that it is grossly inappropriate to lead a public protest in respect of issues relating to or connected with the fuel price increase, which are currently before the court,” she said.

“From the communique, it is apparent that the current move by NLC goes beyond peaceful protest by issuing a seven-day ultimatum for government to meet its demands and also embark on a nationwide action to compel the government to reverse alleged anti-worker policies.

“Furthermore, uncontroverted media reports have established that NLC is not planning a peaceful protest but intends to ground the government by endangering public peace, instilling fear in the masses, precipitating a further crisis.”

,,,,,,Jedy-Agba also cited statements by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) in which they indicated interest to join the strike action.

“We reiterate that the interim order clearly restrained NLC from embarking on industrial action of any nature,” the solicitor-general stated. It is common knowledge that a strike is only a form of industrial action. NLC has expressed the intention to embark on a nationwide action to force the government (employer) to agree to its demands.

“Furthermore, the participation of workers in the protest will result in restriction or limitation on or a delay in the performance of work.

“The foregoing, inclusive of the purported peaceful protest (in view of its intended aims or purposes), undoubtedly amounts to industrial action. It is incumbent on your law firm to sensitize the labour unions that peaceful protests are no justification for disrupting or shutting down essential services, which is tantamount to strike action.”

,,,,,,As an anxious nation awaits the conclusion of the Dialogue between Organized Labour and the Federal Government, even against the backdrop of a Presidential address to the nation by President Bola Tinubu, which contained and highlighted several conciliatory promises and palliatives packages, the feelers…..from the streets of Nigeria indicate ominously that an inevitable showdown looms over the country, as both organized Labour and the Federal Government are tenaciously entrenched and holding firmly to their unshakable positions, ahead of the August 2nd nationwide strike.