30th September, 2023
By Nelson Ekujumi
Barring last minute change of decision by the organized labour unions in obeisance to the restraining court ruling on its strike, the Nigeria society from the 3rd of October 2023 might witness another round of industrial unrest as championed by the NLC/TUC arising from their national executive council meeting, in reaction to the federal government response to the aftermath of the fuel subsidy removal on the Nigerian worker.
Before we proceed in this exercise, it is important for us to situate the issues in proper perspectives for understanding and clarity of purpose. However, in doing so, one is not oblivious of the fact that sentiments and emotions might becloud the reasoning of some persons whose only idea of objectivity, truth and pro people, is if one takes or support positions against government actions or policies in the absence of rationality, fact and logic. Nevertheless, we are unmoved and cannot be cowed from expressing our views on national issues which is a fundamental human right, no matter whose ox is gored.
On the issue of fuel subsidy removal, it’s an indisputable fact that Nigerians are collectively on the same page over the removal of this virus that has ravaged the Nigerian economy to our collective detriment and which must be exterminated to allow the economy and Nigerians breathe.
It is not in doubt that strike action by labour unions is one of the legitimate instruments employed to ventilate its grievances to employers or government over work conditions. From that premise, the resort to strike is a legitimate and fundamental right of the worker or workers which is indisputable and non-negotiable.
In addition, an indisputable truism is that strike action is a serious business that ought to be employed as a last resort and must not be turned into a blackmailing tool, else it becomes trivialized and loses its cherished import.
As regards the threatened latest round of strike by the organized labour, the question that should bother any discerning mind, is in whose interest is this strike?
One recollects that immediately after the presidential pronouncement of the removal of fuel subsidy, Mr. President also made a public announcement of the need to effect a positive change in the welfare of the Nigerian worker in line with economic reality and to put in place measures to ameliorate the conditions of not only the working class but the generality of Nigerians in the immediate and long term through the retooling of the economy for national prosperity.
Thus, following the removal of fuel subsidy and the attendant economic distortions, the federal government constituted a committee comprising representatives of the federal and states governments, the organized private sector and the organized labour to come up with recommendations on the way forward with regards to the economic conditions of the working class population.
Even while the constituted committee was work in progress, we are all living witnesses to the palliatives programmes of states governments like Kwara, Ogun, Edo, Lagos, Bornu, Oyo, etc who came up with policies such as reducing the official working days from 5 to 3, award of N10, 000 per month to workers, reduction of transport fares in BRT buses, purchase and deployment of mass transit buses at subsidized boarding costs among other relief measures to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
In the midst of the economic dislocation and inconvenience caused by the removal of fuel subsidy which was expected and affecting all strata of the society, as a way forward, the federal government relinquished and decentralized some aspects of the distribution of the relief measures or palliatives to states governments and it’s a fact, that we are living witnesses to the distribution of the palliatives in some states of which we have seen reportage in the media, but in some others, we are in the dark about what is being done, but it is expected that in due course, all the states governments will be made to render account of stewardship in this regard.
One must also add that in Lagos State, where yours sincerely lives, one has experienced as an eye witness, distribution of palliatives not only by the state government, but also by local government council and local development council areas administrations.
Even as Nigerians battle the economic hardship which is a global phenomenon, the organized labour at every turn of its engagement with the federal government on the aftermath of the removal of fuel subsidy, threatened going on strike, went on a one day strike and rally and later, on a 2 days strike and public rally to ventilate it’s anger over the plight of workers and it’s disapproval of government response to the issue of the palliatives and other matters.
However, an aspect of the labour statement on why it is going on strike is its claim that it’s action is because of the suffering of the generality of the Nigerian people over the removal of fuel subsidy, which needs to be examined to determine the truth.
This statement in view of our present economic circumstances looks more like an attempt to pull wool over the eyes of Nigerians who have become traumatized by the broken record threat of strike by the organized labour at the slightest opportunity. That the Nigerian people are going through a lot because of the economic hardship is not in doubt, but the present situation though painful, is one in which the people have exhibited patience and understanding and are only looking for relief rather than the pains which the proposed strike portends.
So one wonders why the organized labour is trying to deflect from the truth that the primary focus of its present agitations at the federal level is the interest of federal workers which is legitimate and in order? In sincerity, one might be safe to assume that workers at the state and local government levels don’t need to be part of this strike, because some of the palliatives which the federal workers are clamouring for through the organized labour, is already being enjoyed in the states even by the federal workers too, save for wage issues which is a national matter and is already being looked into by the tripartite committee.
But this is not to assert that the society as a whole has not benefitted from the struggles of the organized labour in the past, absolutely not. Infact, we must commend the organized labour for its sacrificial role in nation building which is indelible and must continue to constructively engage with this institution of national unity for our collective benefits.
But on this planned strike, we must affirm that it is not in the best interest of the generality of the Nigerian people and her economy that will be at the receiving end of this action. At the moment, over 80% of our working population are in the informal sector where they live on daily earnings, without which, it will be economic catastrophe and so we ask, how will the interest of this mass of our population and their dependents be ameliorated by an indefinite strike? Also if workers go on strike, the economy that is being retooled for optimal governmental responsibility will be deprived of the expected returns of the retooling process for the good of the people.
As at the last count, the organized labour went on a 2 days warning strike between September 5th and 6th 2023, the effect of that strike on individuals, businesses and the economy was incalculably in the negative in all ramifications.
If the ideals of labour is to create wealth for a better and prosperous society for all, then the planned indefinite strike needs to be rethink, shelved and the federal government given more time to engage with labour on all the issues.
Therefore, without doubt, the proposed indefinite strike by NLC/TUC is not in the interest of Nigerians and Nigerian workers.
-Nelson Ekujumi, a political analyst writes from Lagos