Strike imminent: FG, Labour talks deadlocked
Headlines Nov 9, 2010 By Victor Ahiuma-Young and Daniel IdonorABUJA—THE stage is now set for a three day warning strike by Labour over the issue of minimum wage for workers in the public service as organized Labour made up of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, yesterday, failed to reach an agreement with the committee set up by the National Council of State, to harmonize perceived grey areas between Labour and the Federal Government.
The organized Labour had issued a three-day ultimatum to go on warning strike tomorrow over alleged government’s refusal to secure legislative backing to newly approved minimum wage for worker in the public service.
As a result, last Thursday’s Council of State meeting had deliberated on the looming industrial face-off and constituted a high powered committee to fine-tune areas of disagreement with Labour, and report back to an emergency meeting to hold within this month.
While labour maintained that the planned warning strike scheduled for Wednesday to Friday must go on as directed by the NLC and TUC, the Committee headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo insisted that Labour must exercise patience by calling off the industrial action until and after the emergency Council of State meeting billed for November 25, to approve and ratify the government resolution.
However, a meeting convened at the instance of the Sambo led committee on behalf of the meeting of the Federal Government and leaders of the organized Labour was, yesterday, deadlocked as both parties were unable to resolve the outstanding issue.
Cross Section of Government Officials during the NLC Peace meeting with Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo at the State House Abuja yesterday.
The labour unions had threatened to embark on a three-day warning strike following failure of the government to meet the demands of a pay rise by workers.
Sambo led government’s team comprising the Governors of Edo, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, Niger, Dr Aliyu Babangida and Adamawa, Alhaji Murtala Nyako to the meeting while NLC Acting President who is also the Chairman of the planned strike committee, Mr. Promise Adewusi, and Mr. Peter Esele of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, led Labour delegation to the talk.
Government team
Adams Oshiomhole, a member of the government team told State House correspondents after the meeting that effort was being made to fast track the negotiation process to ensure that all necessary steps were taken to resolve the government Labour dispute.
He explained that the delay in the execution of the action of the report on Labour wages prompted labour’s decision to issue the three-day warning strike.
Oshiomhole said that at the end of the Monday’s meeting the government realized that there was the urgent need to forward the report to the National Assembly and also for NEC to finalize action on the report for urgent implementation.
He said: “The National Council of State, NCS, will finalize the decision, thereafter it will be forwarded to the National Assembly. The good thing is that members of the National Assembly are well represented in the NCS; because we have the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives as members. All of us offered to ensure that what the NCS does the National Assembly will be encouraged to fast track the process, so that they can have outcome legislated into law.”
He explained further that the meeting of NCS has been slated for November 25 to address the issue. The meeting which held at the instance of the Federal Government took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Oshiomhole added: “Labour gave ultimatum to the Federal Government to take action on the minimum wage report, they believe and I believe rightly that they didn’t see any action being taken on the report which was submitted in July and that is a long time now.
But at the meeting, effort had been made to make the point that yes, sometime has been lost and government now realised that we have to act fast and the meeting of the National Council of State has been slated for November 25 and the Council of State will finalise the decision and the report will be forwarded to the National Assembly.”
According to him, the whole idea was to convince Labour that there was no plan to buy time, even when a lot of time have been lost. He said: “A report was submitted in July, Labour expected that thereafter, it will be forwarded to the National Economic Council and then to the National Council of State and thereafter to the National Assembly.
Familiar procedures
“These are procedures that everybody is familiar with but along the line, Labour felt that government was not acting on the report as fast as it was expected and, therefore, decided to issue ultimatum to encourage the Federal Government and all those concerned to act on the report. Government has now realised that you cannot delay action on the report and you have to fast track it.
Whereas the National Council of State normally does not meet every month because of the fact that government need to make up for the lost time, the meeting of the Council of State has now been summoned for November 25 and everything concerning the minimum wage will be finalised at that meeting and it will be submitted to the National Assembly to give legal backing to the report.”
In an interview with State House correspondents after the meeting, Promise Adewusi, acting President NLC said “gentlemen I must thank you for your interests in this matter. We have just had ameeting with our respected Vice President, they have stated government’s position, they have appealed but I regret to inform you that nothing has fundamentally changed”.
Adewusi, who is the chairman of the strike committee said “the steps that we expect that can be taken before we go back to our National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting has not happened, so we are still believing and trusting that we have 48 hours more left, that within these 48 hours government should do something otherwise, the strike is on course”.
Esele added: “Basically from what has been discussed, one thing we have to say because we just have to be brief is to tell you that the status quo has not changed. We are sticking by the decision that has been taken by NEC that the strike goes on Wednesday. We are not now going to areas, we have not seen anything new today, and that basically closes it”.
Unions direct Banks, PHCN, oil workers, others to stay at home
AS the three-day warning strike called by Organised Labour to compel the Federal Government to implement the N18,000 new Minimum Wage, begins tomorrow, unions in the critical sectors of the economy such as in the Banking, Petroleum , Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, and other industrial unions and associations affiliated to both Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, have directed members to fully comply the strike.
This came even as the coordinators of the strike, under the aegis of Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO, yesterday, said the three-day warning strike would be total as it would affect all the sectors of the economy and announced that it had mobilised all its affiliates across the country to ensure successful strike.
To ensure an effective strike, the National Union of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions Employees, NUBIFIE and its Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI counterpart, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG and its Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, counterpart, Vanguard gathered that National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and its Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, counterpart, directed all members to fully complied with the three-day industrial action.
While Vanguard gathered that NUPENG and PENGASSAN had already sent circulars to members directing to stay at home and fully comply with strike directives, President of ASSBIFI and General Secretary of NUBIFIE, Comrade Adeshina Sanni and Segun Ola respectively, told Vanguard that members had been put on notice to fully participate in the strike.
Comrade Sanni, said: “Our members have been put on notice to comply fully because a society where leaders do not respect agreement and are insensitive to the plight of ordinary workers, we do not have any other choice to take our destinies by our hands.”
For Comrade Ola, “as affiliate of NLC we are solidly behind the strike and have directed our members so.”
Also General Secretary of NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero said all the PHCN workers have been directed to fully comply with the strike. It is about the ordinary workers. It is about insensitive leadership of the country.”
Meanwhile, while briefing journalists in Lagos on preparation for the strike, co-Chairman of LASCO, Dr. Dipo Fashina, said all members across the country had been mobilised to ensure a total strike
Dr. Fashina who is also the Chairman of Joint Action Forum, JAF, the umbrella body for civil society ally of labour, called on Nigerians to fully participate and support the planned strike to ensure that the poor workers get the N18,000 new minimum wage.
Collaborating, Comrade Ajaero reemphasized the decision of the NLC to embarked on the three-day warning strike stating that the condition for the strike not to hold is for government to pass into law the new national minimum wage bill today.
According to him:“Through the organs of the NLC, our members have been mobilised to commence strike on Wednesday. We have mobilised all our affiliates across the country to ensure that the strike is successful.
The only condition through which the strike would be suspended is the passage of the wage bill into law before the end of today. Otherwise , the strike must hold and it will be total. Before now such law has been passed under the Shagari administration. If Shagari did it, Jonathan can do it. What is needed is an amendment of the law that will not take hours to implement. Failure for government to do that, the strike must hold.”
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