The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting with the leadership of the two labour centres, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with a firm commitment to accede to some of their demands.
Upon hearing the complaints of the labor leaders regarding the current presidential committee on palliatives, which they deemed an aberration, the president swiftly pledged to establish a new committee. The current committee is headed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
He also acceded to labour’s demand for wage award, since negotiation of a new minimum wage would not come on till next year, in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that organised labour had embarked on a strike to protest the removal of fuel subsidy, with its attendant hardship on the people in the country, despite offer of palliatives by the president in his nationwide broadcast on Monday, which they considered not far-reaching enough.
Protests occurred in almost all states of the federation, as various state NLC and TUC councils rallied workers to participate. Workers from Lagos to Ogun, Edo, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Enugu, Abia, Bayelsa, Imo to Rivers, among others, voiced their opposition to the removal of fuel subsidy which caused a significant rise in the cost of goods and services, making life unmanageable for them.
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In Ogun State, the state government promised to convert vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, to make transportation affordable to the people. Others states also mpromised to do same and give hardship alloawances to workers.
The President’s promise came barely hours after protesting workers stormed the National Assembly and pulled down its gate to gain access into the complex, and after the federal government had filed a contempt proceeding against NLC and TUC.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the brief meeting with the President, the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said they deepened their discussions with the President on palliatives for workers.
He disclosed that the President explained certain things hitherto not in his nationwide broadcast to them at the meeting.
On whether the President urged them to call off the strike, Ajaero said no one person could do that, disclosing, however, that the National Executive Council, NEC, of the NLC would meet today (Thursday) to decide on the next line.of action.
Ajaero said: ‘We met with him (President Tinubu). The issues we discussed are the same issues that led to the protest today.
‘He has expressed his position, made some commitments, which were taken side-by-side with what the Senate said, and we’re taking it back to the office with our colleagues to review it and release a document on our next line of action.’
On whether the commitments were different from the ones he did during the broadcast, Ajaero, flanked by the TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, said: “We have gone deeper into them. The broadcast has broader issues, but there are one or two things that need immediate attention.”
Pressed further to state whether organised labour would call off the peaceful protest, he said: “No one person can call it off. That’s why I said we’ll have to go back to the office, so they will look at it. The exco looks at it before they come up. And by tomorrow (today), the NLC will equally have its NEC meeting to look at the bigger picture.”
Asked whether the President told them to suspend the protest, he simply said: “The President is a pro-democracy activist, so he understands protests.”
Consequent upon the meeting with the President, NLC and TUC last night announced a return to full negotiation with the Federal Government.
NLC and TUC in a statement by their presidents, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, said “We want to appreciate the massive solidarity and support of the Nigerian people who thronged the various venues around the country in their numbers, despite intimidations and blackmails by agents of government and forces of retrogression to discourage them from joining the nationwide protest called to ventilate citizens’ outrage at the anti-poor and anti-peoples’ policies of the government.
‘’We doff our hats at your determination and commitment to save ourselves and, indeed, the nation from those whose only interest is to foist continuous deprivation and suffering on Nigerians.
“The message you have sent today is a strong demonstration of our collective resolve as patriots and owners of the sovereign will to demand that those who occupy the corridors of power must listen to us. You have sent a very strong, loud and clear signal to those occupying the various government houses, be it at the federal or state, that the people remain the sovereign and the barometer for measurement that resides with the trade union movement who have continued to be the bastion of that collective will.
“The NLC and TUC also appreciates the timely intervention of the leadership of the National Assembly for their pledge to resolve the issues raised by the Nigerian people and for their deep understanding of the need for government to provide quick wins as succour with short timelines to ameliorate the consequences of the hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, on the citizenry.
“It is also important that we inform Nigerians that we have just received a court summons purporting to charge us with contempt of court. We urge all Nigerians to be vigilant because it appears that the days of long knives are here with us again.
‘’The leadership remains resolute in its commitment to the protection of the interests and welfare of Nigerian people and nothing whatsoever can take our eyes away from this focus nor shake this belief.
“Having demonstrated our collective resolve through the strong signal we sent today (yesterday) across Nigeria, we urge vigilance on the part of all workers and masses to protect our nation and our decisions while we await the response of the government through the National Assembly as was assured by their representatives during the protest.
“To further show our collective resolve, All Nigerian workers will resume at the courts wherever they may be across the nation on the days of the court sittings to hear the contempt proceedings against the leaders of trade unions.
‘’The airports, seaports, hospitals, schools; all public and private sector workers will all appear in court across the nation in response to the contempt charges.
“Once again, we look forward to the continuing support of all Nigerians and workers around the country as we continue in this struggle for freedom from the clutches of oppression and impoverishment.
‘’We must remain unwavering and together in refusing to allow them divide us so that collectively, we will build a nation where no one will be considered too small to be left behind.
“It is pertinent to inform Nigerians that the extent of the success of the protest is underlined by the request of the President, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to meet with the leadership of the NLC and TUC in a closed-door session.
“The engagement was fruitful as immense mileage was got with regards to the issues that bogged down the work of the Presidential Committee on Subsidy removal and necessitated the protest viz;
*He committed to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engagement, in line with the input of labour leaders *He let out a certainty that the Port Harcourt Refinery will commence production by December this year.
*He pledged to ensure that agreement is reached on the wage award for Nigerian workers immediately.
*He promised to unveil a workable roadmap to the Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, alternative next week.
“On the strength of the President’s pledge and commitment, we have decided to return to a new and reinvigorated dialogue process to allow for full implementation. Once again, we thank Nigerians while we wait for the government to fulfill its own part of the understanding as agreed with the President.”
Africa Today News, New York gathered that prior to meeting the President, the organised labour during its protest to the National Assembly, where protesting workers pulled the gate to the complex, had told the lawmakers to cut down cost and allow Nigerians breathe as they were being suffocated.
Security agents had earlier blocked roads leading to the national secretariat and the city center, an action labour said was an attempt to frustrate their efforts.