The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) issued a stern warning on Tuesday, cautioning that if the federal government failed to uphold its current agreement with the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), there would be no prior notice before another strike was initiated in 30 days.
Joe Ajaero, while speaking on ARISE News Channel, emphasized that sufficient time had been given to the administration of President Bola Tinubu to address the country’s economic hardships and the avoidable loss of lives among the populace. However, Ajaero lamented that the government had consistently disregarded labor’s concerns.
The NLC had initially suspended its planned indefinite strike on Monday night, citing widespread suffering due to the removal of fuel subsidies, the foreign exchange market crisis, and the resulting impact on Nigerian workers.
The suspension of the proposed nationwide strike came after the signing of a 15-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two main labor unions and the federal government.
Ajaero revealed that the NLC had returned to the negotiating table following pressure from concerned Nigerians who raised concerns about the potential adverse effects of the proposed strike on vulnerable citizens.
He explained, “When we had the first meeting with them, we went back to our organs. And even when our ultimatum expired, we still went back. That’s where we draw our power and mandate.”
Ajaero clarified that if, at the end of the one-month period stipulated in the agreement, they were not satisfied with the government’s compliance, they would consult their constituents again to assess the progress made.
“If at the end of the one month, for all that was agreed, we are not satisfied, we will get back to the same organs and get a fresh mandate because it’s important that we understand that an activity that was suspended is not called off.
“We do not need to give a fresh ultimatum (to the government). We will go back and re-evaluate what we had achieved and the level of compliance and efforts made so far in ensuring that the agreements are honoured.”
He further noted that certain commitments, such as the implementation of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, salary awards, and promised cash transfers, should have already been realized by now if the government had the political will to act promptly.
Regarding the refineries, Ajaero explained that the agreement called for a joint visitation to the Port Harcourt refinery to assess its readiness to operate by December.
Ajaero expressed labor’s dissatisfaction with the initial N25,000 announced by Tinubu before the eventual approval of N35,000 as the minimum wage. He raised questions about how lower-income bracket workers and pensioners, some of whom earned as little as N5,000 to N10,000, would be classified.
Despite these concerns, Ajaero highlighted that workers had reason to celebrate the achievement of an award of N35,000 within 24 hours, thanks to the government’s commitment.
He also discussed the labor movement’s efforts to extend the benefits to the private sector, local government, and state workers, as the federal government’s influence did not extend to these other tiers of government.
Ajaero stressed that while the NLC possessed considerable power, it exercised restraint, acknowledging that its responsibility was to its members but emphasizing that the benefits of programs like the CNG initiative and the Value Added Tax (VAT) could positively impact all Nigerians.
He mentioned that initially, labor had opted not to participate in the first meeting because of the government’s tendency to hold discussions on the eve of labor ultimatums. However, they convened the meeting on a Sunday and a public holiday due to public pressure and concerns about the economy’s impact on ordinary citizens.
The strike was suspended to monitor the progress, and any agreements reached would be legally binding, registered in court to ensure that both parties understood their obligations.
Ajaero acknowledged the prevailing trust deficit between Nigerian leaders and the governed due to past broken promises but expressed optimism about translating the government’s promises into reality.
He emphasized the importance of depositing copies of the MoU with the courts to hold both parties accountable, preventing any unilateral changes to the agreement without judicial consequences.
Ajaero noted that the Nigerian people had endured significant pain and suffering over the past five months.