Organised Labour in Nigeria has called a strike action to kick-ff on Tuesday October 3.
Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) made the announcement Tuesday September 26, at a joint press conference in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Consequently, the NLC and TUC have directed state chapters across the country to prepare for protests on the said date.
This is despite appeals and representations reportedly carrying on between government and organized labour over the past few days and the failure of labour to call a scheduled strike on September 22 which gave the impression that a truce had been reached between both parties.
As at Tuesday evening, Simon Lalong, Minister of Labour and Employment, is said to have resumed fresh and frantic representations to Organised Labour to stand down the impending strike.
Lalong says the Federal Government has met some of labours demands and is progressing towards meeting others.
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.
Organised Labour’s demands include wage increases, 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.
Lalong said the NURT officcials have since been released.
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 foreign 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.
