The Federal Government is expressing an awkward confidence under the dark clouds of a threat by Organised Labour to call a nationwide workers strike starting today, Friday, September 22.
Labour had said it wants clear evidence of measures to serve reliefs to Nigerians in the face of economic hardships brought on by the removal of petrol subsidy and the free float of the naira, failing which it would call the strike.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is holding fast to its demands and has expressed dissatisfaction with government’s foot-dragging, but has been less strident in the last 48 hours and had not called the strike as at the midnight deadline, Thursday.
Unconfirmed sources say the union may be scheduling a meeting of its leadership for next week, to decide if and when to call the strike.
Minister of Labour and Productivity, Simon Lalong, on Wednesday briefed Vice President Kashim Shettima about on his meeting with the Organised Labour.
Addressing the press after the meeting, Lalong said: “We have no doubt and that’s why many of the meetings we have with them, we are not ending up boxing ourselves, we were smiling. We hope that the best is going to come.”
He added, “We don’t have any fears about some of the things they put and also the suggestions and the package of the Federal Government”.
Meanwhile, there are reports of representations on the matter continuing to pass back and forth between Vice President Kashim Shettima, Labour and Employment Minister, Simon Lalong and other top government officials on the one hand, and the leadership of Organised Labour, including Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and others, late into Thursday night.
Informed sources say these exchanges may be buying time for government beyond the stipulated NLC ultimatum.
The tenuous peace is said to now hinge how long labour is willing to endure, as well as its reading and faith in government’s position, sincerity and actions.
Organised Labour’s demands include wage award, tax exemptions and allowances to public sector workers, reduction of cost of governance, provision of Compressed Natural Gas, (CNG) buses, release of modalities for N70 billion for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), release of officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) by the police and vacation of occupation of Police-backed interlopers, among others.
Some of the arguments that government is said to be presenting to Organised Labour, include the assurance given days ago by the Dangote Petrochemical Refinery that it will commence operations in October, bringing reliefs in terms of availability and reduced cost of fuel to market.
The counter argument however is that government may not be able to supply the refinery with adequate quantities of crude because of pre-existing obligations arising from debt commitments.
Other arguments being put forward, sources say, include that government is already realising significant savings from the removal of of petrol subsidy and had chalked up N1 trn in savings as at July 31, just two months into the policy.
To this, Labour says it wants to see a translation of these savings into economic relief to Nigerians.
Government further says it is fast working to deliver 3,000 buses of 25-seat capacity which run on more cost efficient Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel from abroad to reduce transport cost to Nigerians and that it is in negotiations with an indigenous motor manufacturer to deliver and speed up further deliveries.
Labour’s position on this is said to be that the process is taking too long.
Government is also attesting that it is well disposed to putting a wage review into effect, while labour is said to be pressing for documentation, percentages and timelines.
