Breaking : Nigerians Condemns NLC On Planned Strike Call Off

A variety of Nigerians, including engineers, artisans, and others, have leveled the accusation that the organized labor movement has betrayed their interests by reaching resolutions with the federal government regarding the removal of fuel subsidies.

After negotiating “seven key agreements” with the federal government on Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) decided to call off their planned nationwide strike, which was scheduled to begin today.

According to the Daily Trust, the workers’ unions were planning to go ahead with their first major national strike in eight years, but just hours before the strike was to begin, they came to an agreement with the government and called off the strike.

After having persuaded millions of Nigerians that they would act on their behalf, the National Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), however, caved in, which many Nigerians found to be uncharacteristic of both organizations.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who led the government side of the meeting with the labor unions on Monday night, read out the communiqué that was issued at the end of the meeting and said that seven resolutions were reached to address the situation. One of the resolutions was that “The federal government, the TUC and the NLC to establish a joint committee to review the proposal for any wage increase or award and establish a framework and timeline for implementation.”

The World Bank Financed Cash transfer scheme is going to be reviewed by the federal government, the TUC, and the NLC, and it will be proposed that low-income earners be included in the program.

“The federal government, the TUC, and the NLC to revive the CNG conversion programme earlier agreed with labour centres in 2021 and work out detailed implementation and timing,” amongst other things.

On the other hand, Nigerians who aren’t employed in the public sector and therefore won’t likely benefit from the proposed solutions at the meeting have voiced their disapproval of the labor unions.

Muhammed Yunusa, a fashion designer based in Kubwa, Abuja, who operates industrial machines for sewing by using petrol for his generator to power the machines, stated that it had not been simple for him to carry out his work.

The price of a liter of gasoline, which used to be N220 for us, has increased to somewhere between N537 and N550. What are some ways that we can deal with that? We are barely making it through the day because we do not have enough money. I am still confused as to why the NLC decided to call off the strike. I beg the relevant authorities to take into account what we have to say. “The timing of the decision to remove the subsidy is extremely poor, despite the fact that the decision itself is a good one,” he said.

According to Olagunju Deji, a barber, the removal of the subsidy has led to an increase in both the cost of living and the cost of conducting business in Nigeria.

He stated, “From the day President (Bola Ahmed) Tinubu made the announcement, there has been this wind of suffering that blew away the roof of the average Nigerian and exposed us to even more adversity.” As a result of the increase in the price of gasoline, a number of other costs, including those related to housing, transportation, and educational expenses, will also go up.

“The situation is having a significant impact on my business because, after I raised the price that I charge for barbering, quite a few of my regular customers stopped coming to my shop. The NLC ought to have gone ahead with the demonstration that had been planned.

Thomas Ruth, the proprietor of a bakery, stated that it was inhumane to remove the subsidy without putting any palliatives in place to cushion the effects of its removal.

“Electricity is essential to the operation of businesses like mine. Our company will be brought to a halt due to its erratic power supply and our inability to afford purchasing sufficient fuel for our generators.

“The circumstances are deplorable. This is very disappointing and cannot be justified for a government that has just recently taken office. If you don’t have access to fuel and electricity, you won’t be able to run your business, which means you won’t be able to generate any revenue or pay your employees. “Bread and garri are going to be out of my price range as a result of these needless price increases,” said Ruth.

Due to the increase in the price of the service, Yusuf Idris stated that he was unable to continue taking the clothing of his family to be laundered.

“I currently pay N400 for a pair of clothes, but they have recently increased the price by 100%; how much more am I making?”

Also speaking was a tailor by the name of Ibrahim Na’Allah. He stated, “We used to sew a pair of cloth at the rate of N3,500 but now we can barely sew that to you at the rate of N5,000.” Even the cost of the materials that we used to sew the clothes has gone up.

Martha Musa, who works as a member of the staff at a hotel in Kano, expressed her shock at the workers’ union’s decision to abandon its plans to stage a strike.

She stated that we had always been aware that the laborers were plotting something. They got together the previous week, so there’s no reason to postpone the strike until Wednesday. It would appear to me that all of the available labor has been purchased. The resolutions that were reached did not take into account those of us who do not work for the government. What proportion of their employees are they trying to negotiate wage increases for?

A civil servant by the name of Malam Musa Ismaila also suggested that the labor leaders were being insincere.

“Despite the fact that some states have not yet implemented the N30,000 minimum wage, labor leaders are advocating for an increase. Who are they trying to trick? What about businesspeople and other private individuals; what benefits do they anticipate receiving as a result of the resolutions? Already, there is a level of competition for their earnings,” he explained.

A barber named Agbabiaka Taiwo Taoffiqat said, “It is really affecting my business so badly because the power supply isn’t stable. As a result, I run a generator most of the time.” Because of the rise in the cost of fuel and the fact that my clients anticipate that I will continue to charge the same amount for my services, some of them have stopped coming to see me.

MAN is concerned about possible job losses.

At the time that this report was being written, attempts to contact the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, were unsuccessful.

Sani Hussaini, a member of the National Council of MAN and the immediate past Chairman of the Kano branch, stated that the removal of the subsidy poses a risk to the manufacturing sector.

He stated that it had an effect on everyone, but especially those of us who were involved in the manufacturing process. Before we can continue, we will have to turn off some of the machines and revert to using gasoline as an alternative. We are in a precarious situation due to the fact that gasoline and diesel prices are getting dangerously close to one another.

“What is concerning us at the moment is that raw materials are expensive; the cost of production is also expensive, but you cannot increase the price of goods. ” Stopping production of the goods is the only option if they are not required for survival.

“Thirdly, if you take a look at the staff that we are collaborating with, you will notice that they are also struggling with the same issue. One who previously spent N100 to get to work will now have to pay N300, and the same amount will be required to get back home. We are not even going to discuss what he will consume while he is at work.

“If you were to look solely at his work-related expenses, it would be enough to bring anyone down. In the end, he will be working for nothing, and you won’t be able to raise his salary either because you need to at least double it first. Where will you find the return on your investment? It is not simple, and to tell the truth, we are not having very much fun with it.

The NATE has requested that the FG construct a digital modular refinery and provide buses.

Abraham Agu Okpani, Chairman of the Abuja branch of the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE), stated that the removal of the subsidy has had an effect on the entire economy, including engineers, technologists, and skilled and unskilled laborers.

He voiced his concern that the adverse effects of the removal of the subsidy could have a negative impact on the Gross Domestic Product of the country if they were not properly addressed.

In order to propose a solution to the removal of subsidies, Okpani suggested that the federal government set up a digital modular refinery in each of the 36 states and investigate the living wage rather than the minimum wage in order to facilitate high levels of productivity.

In addition to this, he suggested that the government make coastal buses available for public transportation in all of the states, as well as in metropolitan cities and rural areas.

The transportation to workplaces of artisans, engineers, craftsmen, technicians, and Nigerians at large to their various sites and offices has been on an 85 percent increase recently, he said. “The situation is too bad because the transportation to workplaces of artisans, engineers, craftsmen, and technicians is on an 85 percent increase.”

He urged the government to take into account the fact that an unproductive nation is one that lacks technologists.

CSOs are slamming unions while making demands on behalf of Nigerians.

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) and the Good Governance Team (GGT) have issued a call to the labor unions, urging them to make their demands on behalf of the general populace of Nigeria and not just the workers employed by the government.

The Executive Director of CHRICED, Dr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, stated that the organization had made it clear that Nigerians needed to take their destiny into their own hands, despite the fact that the labor movement has a critical role to play in the struggle for an equitable, just, and prosperous country. This was said by Dr. Zikirullahi in spite of the fact that the labor movement has a critical role to play in the struggle for an equitable, just, and prosperous country.

“It will be reckless to place an excessive amount of reliance on the commitment of labor alone. The labor market presents its own set of difficulties and quirks. If the leadership of the labor movement comes to the conclusion that it is acceptable to accept palliatives that are so meager that they would not even reach the entirety of the population, then that is their decision to make, and history will decide how to view it.

“In the end, if labor is unable to play the role of being the arrowhead of the national resistance against harsh and inhumane policies, then the Nigerian people themselves will eventually offer the resistance and pressure that is necessary to give birth to good governance. After all, the #EndSARS movement, which occurred relatively recently, was not motivated by labor. According to Zikirullahi, “the youth of Nigeria picked up the gauntlet, and they made a resounding impact.”

Also, the Convener of the GGT, Mr. Tunde Salman, made the following statement: “Since the government is a continuity, and the removal has affected and impacted all of us, albeit in different ways, I think what should be important should be how to cushion the effects pending the resolutions on the rescheduled discussion between the government and labor unions.”

Earlier, during a briefing on the state of the nation, Zikirullahi urged the president to prosecute subsidy scammers, oil thieves, and those responsible for the comatose state of the nation’s four refineries. He also urged the president to take action against those responsible for the deteriorating condition of the nation’s four refineries. He placed responsibility for the crisis in the oil industry squarely on the shoulders of the incompetence and corruption that were endemic within the administration of the refineries.

Why we put our faith in the government – labor

However, the leaders of the labor unions have stated that they have decided to call off the planned nationwide strike because they have recognized the willingness of the government to continue having dialogue in an effort to find a solution.

The clarification was made by Ajaero of the NLC and Ugboaja of the TUC, respectively, yesterday during their emergency National Executive Council meeting held at the Labour House. During this meeting, they directed their affiliate unions to keep the status quo.

They also stated that taking the step to avert the action was done despite the fact that the government had obtained a court injunction to prevent them from doing so. This was done because of the mood of the socio-political climate during the most recent elections as well as the need to pursue national stability.

Ajaero, on the other hand, stated that the federal government was in violation of the Appropriations Act of 2023 because the budget covers subsidies until the end of June. He added that the National Labor Congress would not encourage lawlessness on the part of the federal government.