Organised Labour mobilises begins 2-day nationwide protest on bitting hunger

 

 

Emmanuel Ukudolo I Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024

 

LAGOS, Nigeria – Organised labour – Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC – have mobilised and commenced two days(Tuesday, 27 and Wednesday 28) nationwide protest to force the Federal Government to implement agreement reached with labour on palliative to cushion effects of petrol subsidy removal.

Labour called the strike following refusal of the government to implement agreement to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians arising from removal of subsidy. The federal government had promised wage increment but settled for wage award which it had reneged to pay and mobilisation of CNG buses to ease the problem of transportation.

While the President Tinubu-led government had reneged with no hope of fulfilling the agreement, the cost of goods have skyrocketed, reducing the purchasing power of Nigerians with many unable to feed without begging to survive.

Since the removal of subsidies, the price of fuel has hit the rooftop. Petrol now sells between N599 to N600 per liter in Lagos and almost N900 in other states. Diesel now sells for as much as N1500 per litre in Lagos, the Naira now goes for almost N2,000 to one US dollar, throwing the population into suffering with farming looming on the horizon.

Already, the last minute effort by the federal government to salvage the situation ended in deadlock, forcing Nigerians to troop out enmass today to vent their anger on a government they feel has abandoned the masses and opted to unleash hardship on the population less than one year in office.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its planned nationwide protest on February 27 and February 28, 2024.

The HAGF made this known in a letter written to the Nigerian Labour Congress Counsel, Femi Falana dated Friday 23rd February, 2024. Falana had informed the government that the NLC protest was legal and not contemptuous.

Fagbemi noted that “Government has substantially and reasonably complied with the items in the MOU and it is only appropriate and equitable for organised labour to engage more with government to ensure the full implementation of same, especially in the areas that have been inhibited by unforeseen challenges”.

According to him, the planned industrial action could amount to contempt in view of a restraining order of a National Industrial Court.

According to the AGF, the planned industrial action could amount to contempt given a restraining order from the National Industrial Court.

According to the letter, “Upon the submission of grievances to the court, parties in the suit cannot resort to public protests over the same issues, as such conduct amounts to gross contempt and an affront to the institution of our courts of law.

“Therefore, the proposed nationwide protest action in all ramifications is in clear violation of the pending interim injunctive order granted in SUIT NO: NICN/ABJ/158/2023- FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA & ANOR V. NIGERIAN LABOUR CONGRESS & ANOR on 5th June 2023 restraining both NLC and TUC from embarking on any industrial action or strike of any nature.”

He emphasized that “the restraining order has neither been stayed nor set aside, therefore remains binding”.

AGF explained that the planned protest is premised on or connected with alleged non- implementation of the 16-point agreement reached with the Federal Government on October 02, 2023. He added that it is targeted at promoting issues connected with hike in fuel price and consequential matters of palliatives, workers welfare, and associated government policies.

According to the letter, the HAGF requested the Counsel to implore and enjoined his clients to “refrain from self-help by shelving the proposed protests which is antithetical to the mediatory engagements leading to the execution of the MOU, tantamount to undermining subsisting restraining court order, and occasioning disruption of public service, order and safety”.