It's about to get unsafe soon.
NLC Orders Mobilisation for Fresh Strike
Says next phase will be swift, total
Fuel Hike
By Chris Nwachuku
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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday ordered its 29 affiliate unions and 36 state councils and Abuja to immediately commence mobilisation for the second phase of the nationwide strike aimed at pressing home its demand for reversal of new regime of petroleum products prices.
The Federal Government last month approved an increase in fuel price from N43.90 to between N52 and N54. Workers and civil society groups organised a four-day sit-at-home protest last week to force a price reversal.
Labour said yesterday that the resumption of the strike has become inevitable as there is no concrete evidence to demonstrate government sincerity in meeting the request of workers. It further stated the appropriate organ will meet "within the next few days" to announce new date for the mass protest.
THISDAY exclusively gathered that the NLC national headquarters had dispatched letters addressed to the presidents and general secretaries of the unions and chairmen and secretaries of the state councils about the new decision. The letter which was signed by NLC General Secretary, Salihu Lukman, said the next phase would be "swift and total" and urged the leadership not to leave any stone untouched in the mobilisation.
The NLC scribe requested the unions and councils to work out details of the mobilisation strategies.
Lukman said national officers may be sent to states to assess their strategies and level of mobilisation before the strike will commence.
The letter also reminded the unions of the first phase of the warning strike and the standing order of the National Executive Council to commence the second phase of the protest if government failed to reverse the new price to pre-September rate at the expiration of the two-week break.
"You are therefore expected to commence immediate mobilisation of your members for the final phase of the protest. You are please advised to leave no stone untouched as the protest will be swift and decisive," said the general secretary.
It could not be ascertained if the action of the workers' movement has anything to do with the lack of progress in the work of the Palliative Committee set up by the Federal Government.
A senior unionist disclosed that NLC had already commenced consultation with its allies to work out the shape and timing of the next phase of the strike. The result of the consultation will herald the meeting of NLC organs, which will formally announce the new dates for the resumption of strike, said the unionist.
The NLC had last week directed a nationwide strike from October 11 to 14 which was reported to be successful across the country. Labour said the first phase of the strike was a warning to government and that its suspension was aimed at giving government the opportunity to reverse the fuel price hike.
Government has, however, not shown any interest in addressing Labour's demand as there are indications that the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) may not intervene in a further increase of petrol price from the current N53 per litre to N59 by end of the month based on marketers calculation of fundamentals for October shipment.
The government has, however, set up a Palliative Committee headed by Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu, to work out means of cushioning the harsh effect of the new fuel price regime on the populace.
The palliative committee met last Monday for the second time, during which most of its members representing civil society and labour frowned at the level of its activities. It will meet again today.
It was not clear last night how much influence the committee, especially the chairman, Mantu in whom Labour and its allies had entrusted much confidence after the first meeting, will have on NLC to make it change its plans to resume the suspended strike.
But Labour sources disclosed that the decision to resume the strike is a standing order of the NEC which had to be carried out unless the demands of the workers are met.
THISDAY learnt that since the palliative committee is not discussing the pricing issue and the Federal Government has refused to revert to the old price, it will be difficult for the leadership not to go ahead with the strike.
"There is no excuse to give to NEC, why the strike cannot go ahead. The price, which is the main demand, has not been reversed. The committee is not assertive and is not yet committed to discussing the issue, so there is no basis not to obey the order," said a senior NLC officer last night.
Meanwhile, the Washington office of American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisation (AFL-CIO), yesterday protested the last weekend arrest of its officials in Nigeria. The organisation stated that even under the worst military rule, international labour movement was spared the agony its officials were subjected to last Friday. It also accused Nigeria of abusing the basic international Labour Organisation (ILO) standards workers rights.
"Not even under the worst military regime did the International labour movement come under such assault. This behaviour is entirely unacceptable in a democratic government", AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney said in a statement last night.
He described the assault on the staff mostly foreigners as unprecedented, adding that "the unprecedented search of the solidarity center's office, the intimidation and harassment raises numerous concerns" Sweeney noted.
The entire staff of the center in Nigeria was arrested along with a clergy and five year baby by the State Security Service (SSS) last Friday and detained for over seven hours, SSS officials said the arrest was informed by the inciting reports against the Nigerian government which the Americans and their Nigerian counterparts were accused of circulating.
But Sweeney debunked such assertion stating that his organisation is committed to increasing peaceful trade union participation in democratic dialogue, promoting the rule of law, building unions capacity to eliminate child and forced labour, fighting of HIV/AIDS pandemic and combating social injustices.
Sweeney said the Centre had worked transparently to promote these principles during its 11 year presence in Nigeria.
Nigeria accommodates one of the field offices of the center that support programmes in 55 countries throughout the world.
According to Sweeney "the solidarity center was founded with the mandate to support basic trade union and workers rights worldwide through promotions of the international Labour Organisations (ILO) fundamental principles and rights at work. These are international Labour standards that the Nigerian government has sworn to uphold. This egregious violation of these standard is intolerable".
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