On Wednesday, the Labour Party’s leadership expressed its full endorsement of the impending industrial action organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.
They criticized the presidency for its apparent indifference to the struggles of Nigerian workers.
The development is a response to organized labour’s decision to disrupt nationwide activities beginning on October 3. This move comes in the aftermath of the government’s failure to adequately execute policies designed to alleviate the masses’ suffering after the fuel subsidy’s removal.
After the NLC’s 21-day ultimatum ended last week, National President Joe Ajaero expressed his frustration, noting that none of the demands presented to the Federal Government had been attended to.
The NLC and TUC are making several demands, including wage increases, the rollout of palliative measures, tax exemptions and benefits for public sector employees, and a reassessment of the minimum wage.
Reacting to the proposed strike in a statement titled ‘Workers strike: Labour Party identifies with Nigerian workers’ on Wednesday, National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, bemoaned that Nigerian workers have shown enough patience and understanding.
Addressing party supporters, Ifoh advised them to prepare sufficient food provisions. He further stated that the LP leadership would endorse any legal avenues to advocate for improved welfare for Nigerian workers.
He said,
- “We have followed with keen interest, in the last four months, various meetings between Organised Labour and various government bodies including the president of the Senate, the presidency and the ministers of Labour as well as all the efforts made by the Labour leadership to get the government to understand the magnitude of sufferings its policies have thrown Nigerian workers into since the enthronement of this administration.
- “We are not in any way surprised at the government’s apparent indifference, insensitivity, intransigence, and recalcitrant posture towards the genuine demands of the Labour bodies because their usurpation of power was not sanctioned by both the workers and generality of Nigerians.
- “We are not in any way surprised at the government’s apparent indifference, insensitivity, intransigence, and recalcitrant posture towards the genuine demands of the Labour bodies because their usurpation of power was not sanctioned by both the workers and generality of Nigerians”, he said.
More Insights
Speaking further, Ifoh also noted that the present government’s action is a reflection of the fact that it was not based on the people’s choice at the poll.
According to him, Nigerians were denied their constitutional franchise during the election in what he described as an ’institutional conspiracy.’
He said,
- “Nigerians went to the polls with clear conviction of the government they wanted but this was denied them through institutional conspiracy. Today, Nigerian workers are being punished for taking a stand during the February 25 Presidential Election.
- “Labour Party is also aware of the sordid conditions which workers, the majority of them being our members, are subjected to, where many go to the office on a Monday and are forced by the prevailing economic challenges to sleep in their offices all through to Friday before returning home.
- “We are also using this medium to inform all our members and supporters to stock their homes with their necessary needs ahead of a long-drawn mass action until victory is ascertained. No retreat, no surrender.”
Direct involvement with Nigerian politics will do NLC no good, Any action from NLC good or bad will be tagged as politically motivated. The early Nigerian Labour Congress tread softly the better. This is one of the reasons the Nigeria Labour Congress will continue to become weak and weaker. NLC members have different political beliefs, identifying with one political party in the country is a disaster and suicide mission.
The Labour Party and NLC are two DIFFERENT AND DISPARATE organizations…
Nonetheless, Segun Mimiko became governor of Ondo State under the Labour Party, so why is it now that the NLC (and TUC) are planning strikes against the policies of this particular federal government has it suddenly become “direct involvement with Nigerian politics”?!
When the NLC led the protests against the same removal of fuel subsidies under the Jonathan administration or the several protests and strikes under the Obasanjo administration how come none of those were deemed to constitute “direct involvement with Nigerian politics”?!
Meanwhile, why is a picture of this crusty decrepit Fifth Columnist being used on a Labour Party story?!