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The NLC challenge amid change

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The call by Labour for industrial action to protest the recent increase in the pump price of petrol by the Buhari-led government and failure to effectively mobilise Nigerians to comply due to internal conflict may be the death knell for a once-vibrant union that provided hope for the masses, writes Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU.

Following the recent increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit popularly known as petrol, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday, May 18, mobilised workers to begin an indefinite nation-wide strike.
Labour said it had no option after exhaustive deliberations on the recent hike from N86.50K to N145 by the federal government and the attendant consequences on the Nigerian workers and the general public than to proceed on their protest. This was despite an injunction by the Industrial Court stopping Labour from such action. Labour said it was even infuriated by the court injunction.
Edo State Chapter of NLC described the court ruling as a black market injunction, as it urged its members and civil society organisations not to succumb to any threat.
Said Labour in its resolution at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja: “Our decision not to suspend the strike was further fuelled by the injunction given by the Industrial Court restraining us from proceeding on the strike expected to begin tomorrow (Wednesday). We had to disobey it. It is curious.”
Labour said it would support all right policies of government only, but would resist any anti-people policy which the fuel increase represents.
Unlike most strike actions embarked upon by Labour in the past, the present resolve to down tools witnessed dissenting voices. Example is the NLC faction led by the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero.
Aside petroleum workers who indicated that they would not be part of the strike, there were feelers that transport unions and banks are also on the side of Ajaero. They are seen as major actors in every industrial action. Banking and transport activities remained normal in Lagos and many other states monitored by the TheNiche.
Also, civil servants and private offices were opened for work in those states.
Observers believe that the recent development will set NLC leaders against one another, denying them the strong united force that would dare any government. But the other factional president of NLC who is pro-strike, Ayuba Wabba, disagrees. According to him, faction or no faction, NLC can still challenge government, arguing that some countries have up to four factions of the Labour union.
Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) member, Malachy Ugwumadu, said a people united could never be defeated, just as he urged Labour to be united in any struggle.

Early scorecard on strike
The faction of Labour led by Wabba which called for the strike has remained optimistic, despite that the strike has suffered poor compliance.
Reports from majority of the states indicated that workers went about their normal duties and commercial activities in major metropolis went on unhindered.
But NLC has maintained that the strike would continue despite reports that most workers shunned its call to support the action in many states.
NLC Secretary General, Peter Ozo-Eson, in a statement, commended unions and affiliates that responded positively to the strike, urging them to sustain the tempo of the action.
Part of the statement read: “We commend our members and civil society allies for turning out en masse today (Wednesday) to prosecute the strike action against the increase in pump price of petroleum products despite teething challenges.
“We salute their courage, patriotism and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming acts of threats and treachery. We note that no reasonable struggle comes easy, and this cannot be different. Thus, in pursuance of the mandate given by the NEC of the Congress in conjunction with our civil society allies, the protest continues tomorrow (Thursday).”
The statement noted further that “no level of comfort today or primordial sentiments should blind us to the cruel realities of the increase in the pump price of the petroleum products, as what we are seeing is just the beginning”.
From TheNiche findings, more civil society groups seem willing to support the struggle.
Given such development, some commentators say it may be too early to predict that the strike has failed.
“We are still doing underground mobilisation and many groups are still joining. Buhari will be shocked at how he will be put to shame for this fuel increase rubbish,” Labour activist Nnamdi Nkwo, told TheNiche on phone.

Who is fooling who?
Labour said it was not consulted before the new price regime. But in a swift reaction, the federal government on Wednesday, May 18 insisted that it indeed consulted widely and carried all stakeholders along before arriving at the decision to increase the price of petrol.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, stated: “I wish to further state that series of meetings and consultations were held between the federal government through the Minister of State for Petroleum, the Office of the Vice President, the Minister of Labour and Employment and organised Labour unions.
“It bears putting on record that on May 4, 2016 while discussing the template put forward by the Minister of State for Petroleum, the NLC, TUC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN and other major stakeholders even advised that the NNPC pricing should be the same with that of the Independent Petroleum Marketing Companies at N140 per litre.
“There was another meeting on May 11, 2016 where governors, National Assembly leadership and some ministers were in attendance, with NLC, TUC, PENGASSAN and NUPENG promising to take the decision of the meeting to their respective organs for further necessary actions.”
Chairman, Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LACSCO), Dipo Fashina, said whether Labour was consulted or not was not the issue, insisting that government’s action was “arbitrary, unjust and against all rules of good governance”.
Fashina stressed further that the increase was a subversion of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and undermining of democracy, as well as short-changing the Nigerian populace.

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FG wields big stick
The federal government has warned striking workers not to expect any pay for any day work was not done. It also warned Labour that it would not take kindly acts of intimidation and harassment, including barricading of gates, locking up of offices and preventing workers from carrying out their lawful duties.
The penalty is that those caught would be met with appropriate response by security operatives.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, warned all workers to respect the rule of law and desist from participating in what he describes as “an illegal strike”.
Lawal, in a statement on Tuesday, May 17, assured: “Government undertakes to guarantee the safety of workers and their workplaces, and expects that normal work will continue in the interest of the nation.
“Accordingly, security agencies have been directed to ensure unimpeded access to offices, workplaces and markets.
“Acts of intimidation, harassment, including barricading of gates, locking up of offices, blocking of roads and preventing workers from carrying out their lawful duties will be met with appropriate response by the law enforcement agencies.
“All workers, whether in public or private sector are further reminded of the Trade Dispute Act 2004, which provides that ‘where any worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wage or remuneration for the period of the strike.
“Any such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly.
“Accordingly, all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies are hereby directed to invoke the provision of ‘no work no pay’ in respect of any staff who absents him or herself from work to join the strike action.
“To be sure workers were at their service posts, there will be register for them to sign.”

Overview of the road travelled
NLC, an umbrella organisation for trade unions in Nigeria, was founded in 1978 following a merger of four different organisations: Nigeria Trade Union Congress (NTUC), Labour Unity Front (LUF), United Labour Congress (ULC) and Nigeria Workers Council (NWC).
Trade union movement in the country attained its climax under military regimes of Yakubu Gowon (1967-1975), Murtala Mohammed/Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-1979), Muhammadu Buhari/Tunde Idiagbon (1984-1986) and Ibrahim Babangida (1986-1993).
It was the Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime (1993-1998) that witnessed active involvement of Labour in the struggle both for the improvement in the living standard of members and restoration of democratic rule.
In 1992, for instance, there was widespread discontent in the country in which citizens were harassed, repressed and hungry.
Wages were perceived to be generally low. However, the leadership of the central Labour organisation, NLC, were accused of being collaborators of the then military junta, hence could not muster any resistance against the military government.
It was against the background that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on a nation-wide strike in 1992 to advance the improvement of the working condition of its members. The high level of poverty among members fostered unity of purpose among them. The strike was largely successful in terms of total participation of members and the military government was forced to negotiate with the union.
Also, the experience of the struggle towards revalidation of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election was another instance of workers’ struggle during the military era. The struggle was spear-headed by workers in the oil sector, namely National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Although the strike failed to achieve its goal of restoring the mandate of the purported winner, Moshood Abiola, it was effective with regard to full participation of a large number of members. It further strengthened the unions and made members conscious that they could achieve a lot by remaining steadfast with their unions.
Again, during the IBB regime, they were able to mobilise their members to protest the negative effect of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of the government. The protest led to the introduction of some relief measures meant to cushion the effect of economic policy on the citizens.
Some writers observed that SAP led to economic privation of workers, thereby heightening their consciousness which in turn led to increasing militancy on their part.
Such actions, it is believed, forced government to adopt some relief measures, especially in the areas of wages and salaries increment.
Labour has always sensitised its members and the general public against government’s repressive programmes such as increment in petroleum pump price. Past experiences have shown that on each occasion that government desires to effect change in fuel price, trade unions have played significant role in mobilising their members and the general public on the need to resist such action.
Some Labour experts have argued that during the times of Pa Michael Imoudu, Hassan Sunmonu, Pascal Bafyau etc, Labour forged ahead as a united front unlike what obtains today.
In September 2004, NLC gave the federal government an ultimatum to reverse the decision to re-introduce the controversial fuel tax or face a nationwide protest. The strike threat was made despite that a Federal High Court judgment in an earlier dispute had declared that the organisation lacked legal power to call a general strike over government policies.
Following the announcement of the strike plans, then NLC president, Adams Oshiomhole, was allegedly arrested on October 9, 2004 at a protest at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport.
The history of Labour was that of vibrancy, many have posited, but today it appears the bite has diminished.

Can Labour bounce back?
Commentators who gave their views to TheNiche are in agreement that it would be difficult for Labour to regain its fire given the balkanisation of the union, unless the factions settle for peace.
But there seems to be no peace agenda soon.
The present crisis within Labour, which has affected its unity as one strong body, many believe, has dealt a deadly blow on the strength of Labour unionism and that it would be perhaps a miracle for Labour to regain its confidence with the masses.
There is also this perceived impression in most quarters that Labour has sold out, thereby becoming a pawn in the hands of government.

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