The Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress, which make up the organised labour movement, have declared a permanent strike that will begin on October 3, 2023.
Tuesday in Abuja, TUC President Festus Osifo announced the strike at a joint press conference with NLC President Joe Ajaero.
Ajaero, who spoke first, lambasted the Federal Government for taking a careless approach to union demands since the subsidy withdrawal policy went into effect.
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He charged that during the 21-day ultimatum and the ensuing successful 2-day nationwide warning strike on the 5th and 6th of September 2023, the government purposefully refused to engage in a meaningful and constructive discourse within the bounds of good faith.
The National Executive Councils (NEC) of the NLC and TUC, according to the NLC President, conducted detailed analyses of the country’s current position in their different sessions, taking into account the severe sufferings and deprivation experienced by the people in all states of the federation.
According to him, both NECs denounced the government’s apparent deliberate sluggishness and delay in dealing with the effects of the increase in the price of petrol on Nigerians.
Ajaero also mentioned that the NLC and the TUC NEC-in-session observed that there is no disagreement between the Labour Party and the Government regarding the existence of widespread suffering, destitution, and hunger in the nation as a result of the increase in the price of petrol, which necessitates the urgent need for corrective action.
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He claimed that the government had completely abdicated its duty and displayed a reprehensible unwillingness to take action, leaving Nigerians and their workers to suffer in agonising poverty and misery.
He continued by charging the federal administration with constant grandstanding and blocking any opportunities for a constructive engagement with organised labour about how to relieve Nigerians of the severe hunger and misery they were experiencing all across the country.
“As a result of the unconscionable hike in the price of Petrol (PMS) by the Government, the Government has continued to demonstrate not just an unwillingness to mitigate the massive hardship in the country but also a complete lack of intention to take positive steps and empathy for the multi-dimensionally impoverished citizens of Nigeria.
“The federal Government has therefore not met in any substantial way, the demands of Nigerian workers and peoples as previously canvassed in our mutually agreed roadmap to salvaging the economy and protecting workers and Nigerians from the monumental hardship
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“The grace period given by the two labour centres has expired but trade unions continue to face severe threat from the State via the brutal and suppressive power of the Police and Government.
“The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) continues to be illegally occupied by the Government via the instrumentality of the police who have cloned the leadership of NURTW.
“The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) continues to be illegally occupied by the Lagos State government in total disregard to the Courts and the statutes.
“That the State has continued to blackmail and sponsor serious campaigns of calumny against trade union leaders in the social media using its buying and coercive powers instead of making efforts to lift the burden on the masses,” the NLC President stated.
As soon as Osifo took control of the microphone, he said that the NLC and TUC NEC-in-Session had decided to: “take our destinies into our own hands and save our country in the spirit of the Independence Day celebration and to demonstrate our resolve for a truly independent Nigeria.”
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“To embark on an indefinite and total shutdown of the nation beginning on zero hours Tuesday, the 3rd day of October, 2023. To direct all workers in Nigeria to withdraw their services from their respective workplaces commencing from the 3rd of October.
“To direct all affiliates and state councils to immediately start mobilizing accordingly for action to organize street protests and rallies until Government responds positively to our demands
“We enjoin all patriotic Nigerians to join hands across the nation to assist this government put the people back at the centre of its policies and programmes.”
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