SUBSIDY: Organised Labour issues a one-week ultimatum to the FG before threatening an indefinite strike.

After leading a nationwide warning strike for only two days last week, organised labour yesterday threatened to begin an indefinite strike if the federal government does not meet its demands by the end of a 21-day ultimatum that will expire in about a week.

The proposed strike was deemed necessary by the workers’ union after the federal government failed to provide relief measures to ease the suffering of Nigerians as a result of the removal of the fuel subsidy, as reported by The PUNCH.

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned that industrial action could begin as early as next week, causing a nationwide shutdown of businesses and the economy.

 

Mr. Christopher Onyeka, National Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, told our correspondent yesterday that the federal government erred in giving each citizen a bag of rice while reportedly giving N100 million in relief to each member of the national assembly.

 

The union gave the FG a 21-day ultimatum to address the delay in sharing palliatives on September 1, warning that if its demands were not met, it might be forced to declare indefinite labour action.

 

If the government does not meet our demands in a satisfactory manner, we urge you to keep your resolve strong. The labour group warned the FG in a letter that if an indefinite nationwide strike were to occur, the same passion and determination that fueled this warning strike would be crucial.

 

Several states’ social and economic activities were partially halted on September 5 and 6 when the NLC mobilised workers for a two-day warning strike. This included banks, ministries, agencies, and departments being closed to the public.

 

The NLC leadership had threatened a complete shutdown upon the expiration of the ultimatum next week, and this action was seen as a prelude to that shutdown.

 

The National Labour Committee and the Trades Union Congress wanted, among other things, wage increases, the introduction of palliatives, tax breaks and allowances for government employees, and a review of the minimum wage.

 

The FG promised to reorganise the framework for engaging with organised Labour on palliatives, but that deadline passed in August with no progress being made.

 

Subcommittees were given eight weeks to complete their work and speed up the implementation of the framework to mitigate the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy on Nigerians, but weeks had passed before any progress had been made.

 

The Presidential Steering Committee and other subcommittees have been meeting since June 19 to discuss the palliatives framework adoption.

 

Cash Transfers, the Social Investment Programme, the Cost of Governance, Energy, and Mass Transit and Housing were just some of the areas where the FG’s palliative package had subcommittees established for their implementation.

 

This developed as a result of a protest by organised labour across the country and the President’s subsequent meeting behind closed doors with the heads of the NLC and the TUC.

 

Nationwide Strike

 

When asked about the status of the planned walkout in response to the government’s indifference, Onyeka insisted that the FG had fled the negotiation table and had failed to meet the workers’ demands.

 

The head of the union implied that the strike would take whatever action it saw fit without informing the government.

 

When asked when the 21-day deadline would end, he said, “We sent the letter to the Federal Government on September 1, 2023, so by September 22, 2023, the ultimatum will have expired.

 

We have been very clear that the Federal Government has left the negotiation table and is no longer communicating with the Nigerian people or engaging in negotiations in good faith.

 

“President Bola Tinubu promised Nigerians on his own on television with the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, that he was going to restructure the committees, but he did not do that; since then, the committees have not met, and no negotiations are currently ongoing. Onyeka stated, “As it stands, NLC is not in talks with the government.”

 

The Assistant General Secretary claimed that the inadequate relief being provided was an insult to Nigerians.

 

“Can you see the insult that a ward would share a bag of rice and the government calls that a palliative?” he asked. In a country where many people are struggling, it is insulting that the government gave legislators N70 billion, and that each legislator gets more than N100 million.

 

“The FG is purchasing cars and houses costing over N100 million for each individual, and Nigerians are remaining silent as if what is happening is the norm. The NLC is encouraging Nigerians to work together because no one country can solve their problems.

 

It is a group effort to get the government to cater to the wants and needs of Nigerians, so when the NLC calls for action, people should participate.

 

Workers who spoke to our correspondents said they had been severely impacted by the fuel subsidy cutoff and urged the government to take swift action to ease their suffering.

 

Civil servants have reported using a variety of survival strategies to cope with the current economic climate, including skipping work and engaging in farming and trading to increase their incomes.

 

Workers in Abuja and Lagos’ Federal Capital Territory have spoken out about how their companies have cut back on the number of workdays and hours.

 

After the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, they said their companies followed the trend of allowing employees to work remotely during the lockdown period.

 

Judith Obiora, a government employee in Abuja, has said, “Most of the offices at the Federal Secretariat are no longer filled up as they were before the fuel subsidy removal.” We visit the office no more than thrice a week at most.

 

One public servant’s decision to leave the country because of its prohibitively high living costs.

 

The minimum wage in Nigeria is so low that it can’t cover basic expenses, he lamented. The rising cost of living has made it difficult for public servants to make ends meet.

 

When you add up the costs, you’ll realise it’s not worthwhile. Getting customers to buy from you and making a profit from your work is challenging even for a businessman in this country.

 

An employee who only wanted to be known as “Friday” said that he had been working only three days a week to save money.

 

As he put it, “It has greatly affected me because I can’t afford to go to work Monday through Friday anymore. I try to get there thrice weekly. They won’t appear if the directors have their way.

 

The elimination of the subsidy has far-reaching consequences. There are more than fifty employees based out of Kuje, but the area’s only bus can only hold eighteen passengers.

 

The junior staff has been abandoned. I never get on the bus because I don’t want to have to deal with any condescending senior staff members.

 

Tough times

 

An anonymous worker at a well-known organisation named Vivian said, “It has been challenging, particularly in the area of feeding. The high cost of living has made it challenging to schedule regular get-togethers, especially for those of us with young children.

 

If it’s an adult, you can make due, but how do you break the news to a kid that there’s not enough money to go around? Moreover, transport has been a major challenge. The cost of transportation, for example, has increased from N100 to N300, so working from home occasionally is the more convenient option.

 

A government employee who only wanted to be known as Sade said she and her husband had been worrying themselves sick over the fate of their family.

 

She sobbed, “Yesterday I was at the market, and I screamed. Everything is just too pricey. We really can’t keep going on like this. My children’s school fees have gone up in addition to the high food prices, and my husband and I have been having sleepless nights trying to manage our finances.

 

Mr. Kunle Adams, who worked for the federal government, claimed that he had no choice but to start driving a cab to make ends meet.

 

He said, “I usually don’t like to pick passengers when going to work, but I’ve been doing it to cover the amount I spent on fuel. If it had been more convenient, I would have given up parking my car at home long ago due to its low cost per mile.

 

Who am I to say I am immune to the effects of rising commodity prices when they are a global phenomenon? It would be perfect if the government stepped in.

 

Ade Abayomi, a government employee in Lagos, complained, “It has not been easy since the subsidy removal was announced. However, I also believe the government to have been fair. These days, I rarely miss more than three days of work in a row.

 

Hassan Ahmed, who is employed by a federal parastatal in Abuja, acknowledged that he does most of his work outside of the office.

 

Everyone, from public agencies to private businesses to individuals, is feeling the effects of the current cash shortage. Nowadays, most people have remote jobs. I rarely visit the office anymore,” he admitted.

 

After the federal government eliminated the fuel subsidy, Kolapo Olatunde, chairman of the NLC in Ekiti State, said that workers were subjected to harsh conditions.

 

Olatunde defended the need for a wage hike by noting that the removal of the fuel subsidy had caused prices of goods and services to rise.

 

You’ll need over N35,000 to fill up your petrol tank right now, and even then it won’t last you two weeks. To get you through four weeks of driving, you’ll need N70,000, or two full tank fill-ups.

 

I’m not sure if the monthly pay is sufficient if you’re a civil servant at any grade level up to level 14. The truth is that the equation is unbalanced. For this reason, Olatunde argued, the government should keep an open mind.

 

Rather than reducing the number of working days, the NLC leader suggested providing workers with the resources they need to do their jobs well, resulting in a positive plough-back.

 

Someone recently told me, “If you go to the office to solve problems, someone is now saying don’t come to the office twice or three times in a week, who solves the problems of those days? It indicates that no work is being done in the office. ”It means we are fooling ourselves.

 

Then, if those who do have jobs are expected to stay at home, what will happen to those who do not? Without a doubt, the outlook is better if people are no longer employed, he said.

 

Workers from Kwara

 

Due to the high price of petrol, workers in Kwara State only commute to their workplaces three times per week.

 

Prior to the review of the minimum wage, the state government had ordered the workers to report to work three times and had increased their pay by N10,000.

 

Lola, a female civil servant, said that since the fuel subsidy was eliminated, she had been coming to work three times per week.

 

My coworkers and I have settled on a thrice-weekly attendance policy. Since the government required us to report to work three days per week, we have settled on those days, she said.

 

There has been a 200 percent increase in transportation costs, she said, and it’s too expensive.

 

”My regular work days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, but others in my office have chosen different days. My family has also cut back on our food consumption. Only in the morning and evening do we consume food.

 

”On days that I don’t go to work, I supplement the feeding of my two children with garri in the afternoon if they complain of hunger, as they are currently on holiday,” Lola said.

 

Mallam Makun Abdullahi, an aide to the governor, admitted to stopping his once-monthly bulk purchases of food from the cooperative society.

 

Even though the government has increased our pay by N10,000 per month, that won’t get us very far. The money we bring in is no longer sufficient to support our family. When I’m not at the office, you can find me out in the fields.

 

Many government employees in Sokoto State said they avoid coming into work on a daily basis to save money on petrol.

 

Several state employees who spoke with our correspondent confirmed that the agreement was typically reached between lower-ranking employees behind their superiors’ backs.

 

A state employee said, “We have some arrangements among ourselves to deal with the situation, even though it’s without the knowledge of the management, but we cover for ourselves.

 

To some extent, “most of us use the spare time for farming as part of our own little way to tackle the current hardship.”

 

Abdullahi Aliyu, chairman of the NLC in Sokoto State, and Hamisu Yanduna, his secretary, could not be reached for comment.