Strike is a legitimate means of checkmating totalitarianism — Adegboruwa

Human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has said that strike is legitimate and a by-product of human existence, especially on matters in which there is disagreement or for which some people are dissatisfied. Speaking to journalists at the weekend, the foremost legal luminary said it is intrinsic in human existence for people to have the opportunity to press home their demands where all other options of dissent have been exhausted.

According to him, in labour matters, strike is part of the modes allowed for collective bargaining.

“For totalitarian regimes that are not run on pure democratic principles, strike is a veritable tool in the hands of the employee to negotiate better deals either in relation to their employment or general welfare issues. This particular government has witnessed strikes because of the general perception that it is the best option to secure any deal from the leadership,” Adegboruwa said.

“The effect of strike actions can be very colossal indeed, in losses in businesses, manpower and economic progress but that is still better than a society where everybody resorts to self help as in such a situation, life becomes brutish and short.

“In most cases, parties still have to come to the roundtable to discuss and agree, which means that the strike action could have been avoided in the first place. This means then that the appeal should be to those in positions of authority to set up some mechanisms that will create effective channels of communication between the workers and government.

“From experience, the workers would give the government notice spanning over days and yet, nothing will be done until the actual strike has been declared or commenced.

“We will therefore have to deal with the situation as it is, given that it would seem that the strike option is the one that those who are in government prefer, which means they have to always contend with the consequences, since we cannot abrogate strike as it is allowed by law,” Adegboruwa further said.

On the JUSUN strike, Adegboruwa said the action is for the benefit of lawyers, Judges, litigants and indeed the legal profession at large, as a way of addressing the real issues once and for all, adding that the general thinking of most state governors is to cage the courts and starve the judiciary of funds as a means of rendering it ineffective, so that lawlessness can thrive unchallenged or where challenged, unchecked.

He commended the Governors across the country, the legislators and all lovers of democracy, for insisting on restructuring, devolution of powers, state police and true federalism. He said it is the only way to save the Nigerian federation, at this critical time.