Joe Ogini
The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has given reasons why it suspended the nationwide protest it embarked on last Wednesday, saying that the National Executive Council, NEC, took note of the general mood of the nation and the pervasive suffering and deprivation across all the states of the federation.
The organized Labour made this known in a statement signed by its President and General Secretary, Joe Ajaero and Emma Ugboaja, respectively at the end of the meeting held with its national leaders on Wednesday to review the nationwide protest.
At the meeting, NEC also demanded an immediate withdrawal of the contempt charge against it by the federal government, failing which, they will embark on another nationwide strike in the next couple of weeks.
The Federal Ministry of Justice had on Wednesday filed a suit against the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress for embarking on strike.
The statement reads: “Whereas Nigerians spoke loudly across Nigeria yesterday (Wednesday) to express their outrage over the huge suffering and impoverishment pervading the landscape, the President, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, responded through a closed-door meeting with the leaders of the Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC.
“Concrete agreements were reached and the President personally guaranteed action on the following areas: Commitment to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engaging the consequences of the PMS price hike, in line with the input of the labour leaders
‘’The assurance that the Port Harcourt Refinery will commence production by December this year; the pledge to ensure that agreement is reached on the wage award for Nigerian workers immediately; and
the promise to unveil a workable roadmap to the CNG alternative next week.
“The Federal Ministry of Justice, through the NICN, has continued to allow itself to be used as a vehicle to truncate the dominance of the tenets of democracy and muzzle/silence the voices of Nigerian workers and, has served a summons on the leadership of the NLC and TUC to answer to contempt of court charges, despite the provisions of the constitution to the contrary and the objective realities.
“Consequently, NEC-in-Session resolved as follows: To support and affirm the decision to suspend further protest on the nationwide mass protest
‘’To commit to maintaining the required vigilance needed to hold government accountable on its assurances and governance in general
‘’To commit to the terminal date of August 19, 2023, within which the issues around the petroleum price hike will be agreed, given the assurances of the President and the National Assembly.
‘’To go on total strike across the country any day labour leaders are summoned to court by the government through the NICN.
‘’To demand the immediate withdrawal of this litigious terrorism by the Federal Ministry of Justice before the end of work on Friday, August 11, 2023.
‘’To embark on a nationwide comprehensive strike beginning Monday, August 14, 2023, if these contemptuous court summons are not withdrawn by whosoever initiated it.
“While commending the national leadership and all the state officers for the effective coordination of the protest, it urged all affiliates and state councils, including our civil society allies, to stay further action but remain focused and eternally vigilant.’’
