14-day strike notice: FG, Labour differ on aborted peace deal

The Federal Government on Thursday disagreed with the organised Labour on its threat to declare a nationwide strike in the next 14 days over the alleged failure of the government to implement the memorandum of understanding reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in October 2023.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in an interview with The PUNCH, asked the unions to exercise restraint and allow the government to address their grievances.

 He said, “We are calling on Labour to exercise patience. We will look at the grey area. Let them come and speak with us in the interest of our nation.

“We cannot afford to go on strike at this time. So we call on them and we are always to partner Labour for the progress and development of our country.”

Idris, however, declined to comment on whether the government would seek a court injunction to stop the strike.

After the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, the labour unions reached a 16-point agreement with the Federal Government on measures to cushion the pains of the subsidy removal on workers.

Among other things, the government agreed to pay N35,000 to all federal workers beginning from last September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.

The resolution provided that the wage award would be paid to the federal workers for six months while states were encouraged to extend the same benefit to their workers.

The Federal Government also pledged to provide 100 CNG buses nationwide to ease the high transportation costs.

The unions had threatened to declare a nationwide strike on October 3 but the move was suspended on the condition that the wage award, cash transfer, and some other resolutions must be implemented within 30 days effective from the day the MoU was signed.

However, the NLC and TUC in a joint statement on Thursday, accused the government of failing to fulfil its promises five months after the MoU was inked.

Labour faults govt

In a statement signed by the leaders of the two labour unions, Joe Ajaero and Festus Usifo, the organised labour expressed sadness that despite the passage of time, “The majority of these crucial agreements remain unmet or negligibly addressed, indicating a blatant disregard for the principles of good faith, welfare and rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerians.”

The organised Labour said it was giving the Federal Government 14 days from February 9 to February 14, 2024, to fulfil its part of the MoU with the unions.

The labour unions said that the agreement reached with the Federal Government was focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socioeconomic consequences of  “the ill-conceived and ill-executed IMF/World Bank-induced hike in the price of PMS and the devaluation of the naira.’’

The movement said the dual policies had dire economic consequences for the masses and workers of Nigeria.

‘Nigerians suffering’

The statement read in part, “Widespread hunger is now ravishing millions of Nigerians, with the workers purchasing power significantly eroded, while insecurity has assumed an increasing dimension.

“Nigerians are left wondering where their next meals will come from and what tomorrow might bring. The level of panic and anxiety amongst the populace has become nightmarish unfortunately, in the midst of all these, it appears our government is bereft of appropriate measures to ameliorate the huge burden it has foisted on the citizenry.

“We wish to state that these agreements, which encompass a wide range of issues crucial to the well-being of Nigerian masses and workers, have not been honoured as pledged by the Federal Government.

“From wage awards, palliative adjustments to improved access to public utilities; to the meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the interference by the Lagos State Government in union activities, the case of illegal and unlawful proscription of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria.

The government’s failure to uphold its end of the bargain is deeply regrettable and unacceptable to the Working people and the citizenry.”

The unions added, “Constrained by this development and recognizing the urgency of the situation and the imperative of ensuring the protection and defence of the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers and citizens, the NLC and TUC hereby issue a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government, to honour their part of the understanding within 14 days from tomorrow (today) the 9th day of February 2024.”

The Deputy General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Banks, Insurance and Finance Institution Employees, Shola Aboderin, said his union members would join the industrial action.

“We are an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress, and it would sound irresponsible of NUBIFIE if we don’t join the strike after the 14-day ultimatum,” he said.

According to Aboderin, the members of the union have been lamenting the hardship in the country.

He said, “Recently, NUBIFIE issued a 14-day ultimatum to Heritage Bank that if they don’t add anything to the salaries of our members, NUBIFIE cannot guarantee our members would continue to work for them especially coming to work every day again which was on last week Thursday.”

Aboderin added that NUBIFIE was going to review the activities and the situation of things on Friday (today).

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