The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have decided to call a statewide strike for the month of November. The Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has protested this decision.
The private sector union claimed that the NLC and TUC have not given the strike declaration enough thought, and that if they do, they will realise that Nigerians will endure greater suffering.
On Tuesday, Anaedoonline.ng announced that the NLC and TUC had decided to conduct a nationwide strike on October 3, 2023.
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The Federal Government’s failure to successfully implement policies to lessen Nigerians’ suffering led the organised labour unions to come to this resolution on Tuesday.
The Federal Government has received petitions from the organised labour unions when the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit was terminated.
In addition to salary hikes, the introduction of palliatives, tax exemptions and allowances for public sector workers, and a reassessment of the minimum wage, the NLC and the TUC are asking for these items.
During a Zoom meeting of the National Executive Council on Tuesday, Joe Ajaero, the national president of the NLC, notified the members of the NEC that a meeting had been held with TUC representatives to discuss next actions.
According to Ajaero, it was decided that the two centres would work together to present their viewpoint to the federal government.
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The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, and the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, all comprised of the OPSN, have all objected to the proposed strike.
They claimed that the strike would halt company operations and make the financial difficulties Nigerians are already experiencing worse.
The federal government and organised labour were both forewarned about the negative effects of the strike on the economy in a statement from the organised private sector.
The government and the labour unions must cooperate in order to prevent the impending disruption of socio-economic activity in the nation, according to the OPSN, which emphasised that the economy could not afford a statewide strike at this time.
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Even if the back-and-forth negotiations between the government and the unions, which have not produced any fruitful outcomes, call for an industrial action, the private sector stated that matters should be examined closely.
The statement read in part, “We are worried that adequate consideration is not given to the dire situation of the economy and the devastating/disruptive impact that a nationwide strike will have on the country at this time.
“The government and labour need to understand that our economy is being de-marketed and the livelihood of the average Nigerian is being diminished by this incessant bickering.
‘’One is beginning to wonder if the wellbeing of more than 200 million Nigerians is being factored into their negotiations.”
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Additionally, it urged the government to make an effort to re-engage the union leadership and find a cooperative solution to prevent any disruption in business operations brought on by the planned statewide strike.
The OPS added, “Government should demonstrate good faith in keeping to its promises during the negotiations with labour and abstain from making promises they cannot or do not intend to keep.
“On the other hand, labour should do a realistic assessment of its demands within the context of prevailing economic realities and possibilities, while going the extra mile to indicate how its demands could be met.’’
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