A cross-section of members of Joint Action Front (JAF) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), protesting increase in fuel and electricity tariff, in Lagos, on Tuesday.
DESPITE the court order, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, asked its members nationwide to commence indefinite strike effective from midnight of Tuesday.
The NLC stormed out of the meeting with the Federal Government representatives and promptly declared nationwide strike to commence by 12.00 a.m. today.
The Federal Government team was led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.
However, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the NLC, in disagreement with their NLC counterpart led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba, called of the strike and agreed with the Federal Government to embark on certain measures to mitigate the impact of petrol price hike on Nigerians.
While the NLC left the meeting, saying that they had reached a dead end and strike would commence as scheduled, the TUC concluded the process with the Federal Government’s representatives.
Wabba, while addressing journalists on their resolve to back out of the meeting, said “on this specific policy of increase of the pump price of petrol, which has resulted to about 67.8 per cent increase, we have to take time to go and discuss at our National Executive Council (NEC) meeting and we came back to still look at the issues.
“The mandate that we have is to the effect that the generality of Nigerian workers feel that the pump price of N145 per litre is too outrageous and out of proportion and in view of the current economic situation, it is difficult for them to go by it, especially in the context of the quantum of the increase.
“Even the attempt to see how this can be mitigated was not actually made possible at that meeting and we thought that we shouldn’t continue in the process where we think the end product has not been able to meet our minimum expectations to be able to have a point where there will be succour to the larger Nigerian public.
“There was no assurance whether this increase will also mean price stabilisation. Therefore, there was a lot of uncertainty whether it will be sustained or whether in the near future, we pass through this same path.
“It is on that premises that we thought that there will be no necessity to continue in the process. The mandate given to us by the NEC is that there should be reversal of price for us to have meaningful dialogue,” he said.
When asked if the strike will go on today, he said: “Certainly, strike continues. The meeting was a dead end since the demand we made could not be met in the context of the mandate we have from NEC of NLC.”
On the court ruling, Wabba said NLC has never been served with any court order stopping the strike.
He, however, said the NLC was still open to negotiation with the government if invited.
Earlier on Tuesday, the National Industrial Court (NIC) had stopped the NLC and the TUC from embarking on its planned nationwide strike.
President of the NIC, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, granted the Federal Government’s ex parte application moved by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
The court further granted an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the defendant/respondent from demonstration or engaging in any action that may disrupt the economic activities of the country, pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons filed by the Federal Government.
Justice Adejumo, while granting the ex parte order, urged the Federal Government and the NLC to take to an amicable settlement of the dispute.
He regretted the absence of the NLC and TUC in court and added that the court would have advised them to go for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
Meanwhile, the case has been assigned to Justice Benedict Kanyie of the Lagos Division of the court, which is expected to sit on the matter in Abuja.
The matter has been adjourned till May 24.
Ajaero-faction, TUC back out of strike
The Joe Ajaero-led faction of the NLC, however, agreed to back out of the strike.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting with the faction, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State said both parties had agreed to set up a framework to review the new fuel pump price, national minimum wage and address other issues involved.
The meeting, according to him, also agreed to set up the board of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), because it was part of the issues in contention.
The organised labour had declared the price increase illegal, because the only body vested with the legal power to increase fuel pump price is the PPPRA board, which had not been put in place for some years now.
“We have had exhaustive discussion as a follow-up to yesterday’s (Monday) meeting. You will recall that when we adjourned, the comrades promised to consult with their constituency and come back for yet another meeting to share with us their position on issues involved.
“We have listened to one another this evening and we have all agreed,; that is labour and representatives of the Federal Government, under the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“Part of the agreement is to work towards setting up a framework for the review of the national minimum wage, because we all agreed that this has to be a tripartite body.
“For us to deal with this and other matters, a committee comprising representatives of the organised labour and of the Federal Government, under the chairmanship of nominees of the Federal Government would meet and within two weeks, resolve these and other relevant issues, including the setting up of the PPPRA board, which you all know what its responsibilities are in relations to the issues under focus,” Oshiomhole said.
In his remark, Comrade Ajaero confirmed the presentation of Governor Oshiomhole, adding that “when we spoke with you yesterday (Monday), we insisted that there was no way we could mobilise, sensitise, and even start an action tomorrow (today), that we rather negotiate and it is only when negotiation might have collapsed that we take the option of going into any action.”
ASUU begins indefinite strike
National President of Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, on Tuesday night, directed members of the union to proceed on total and indefinite strike, in compliance with the earlier directive of the NLC.
Professor Ogunyemi, in a text message sent to members nationwide, stated that the just concluded NEC of NLC, on Tuesday evening, resolved to continue with the strike effective midnight Tuesday.
He said the strike would continue until the Federal Government reverts the price of petrol.
“Good evening Comrade. We just rose from the NLC NEC meeting where it was resolved that we should proceed with total and indefinite strike as earlier proposed. The action begins by midnight tonight (Tuesday). A people united can never be defeated,” the text message read.
OPC to join strike —Fasehun
Founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun, on Tuesday, demanded the resignation of President Buhari if he was not ready to revert to the old price of fuel.
This was as he listed the increase of the pump price of petrol among eight perceived policies of President Buhari Nigerians should immediately rise up to challenge.
Fasehun, who addressed newsmen in Lagos, described the 67 per cent hike in petrol price as not only dangerous and illegal, but also reckless, insensitive and irresponsible.
He urged all Nigerians to heed the call by civil society and the organised labour for national strike from today, stating that OPC members would not be left out.
No work, no pay, FG tells workers
The Federal Government has directed all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies to invoke the provision of “no work no pay” in respect of workers who participate in the planned strike by a faction of NLC.
The SGF gave the directive on Tuesday, while advising workers to shun the exercise in their own interest.
Lawal also called on security agencies to beef up security and ensure that protesters did not prevent workers from gaining access to their offices.
“The attention of all public officers is drawn to the notice issued by the NLC to embark on an indefinite strike from Wednesday, May 18, 2016.
“This notice is regrettably given in spite of an order by the industrial court against the strike. Government, therefore, calls upon and advises all workers to respect the laws of the land and to desist from participating in an illegal strike action.
“Government undertakes to guarantee the safety of workers and their work places, and expects that normal work will continue in the interest of the nation,” Lawal said in the statement.
Accordingly, security agencies had been directed to ensure unimpeded access to offices, work places and markets.
Senate backs N145/litre petrol price
The Senate, on Tuesday, resolved to back the decision of the Federal Government to hike the price of petrol, but called on the government to cushion the effect of the price hike through palliatives.
Coming from a closed session which lasted for one hour at its resumption on Tuesday, the Senate resolved to support the move by the government to hike the petrol price.
The chamber also urged the Federal Government to immediately start implementing palliatives measures contained in the 2016 Appropriation Act to cushion effects of the fuel price increase.
In the resolutions read by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, the Senate also called on the Federal Government to continue to engage the organised labour and other stakeholders to resolve issues related with the oil sector.
“The Senate, in a closed session, deliberated on the increase in the pump price of PMS by the Federal Government and the threats by the organised labour to embark on a nationwide strike over the matter and resolved as follows.
“That we sympathise with ordinary people of Nigeria on the hardship they are going through, the Senate will engage the Federal Government to find sustainble ways of improving the welfare of the people of Nigeria.
“That we call on government to continue to engage the organised labour and other stakeholders to resolve issues in other not ground the system and impose more hardships on our people,” he said.
But at a separate briefing after the day’s sitting, vice chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Murray Ben Bruce, told newsmen that the crisis in the petroleum sector was caused by lack of thinking by the people in government.
He said what government was supposed to be subsidising over the years in Nigeria, as practiced in other countries of the world, is the cost of transportation and not the price of fuel.
According to him, “no citizen of South Africa, Sweden and United Kingdom knew what a litre of fuel cost in his/her country but the cost of transportation from one place to the other, which are highly subsidised and regulated by government.”
He specifically declared that what Nigeria needed was mass transit policy with a regulatory agency.
“Here is my argument: The minister of labour and productivity, minister of transport, minister of petroleum resources should sit in a room and come up with a mass transit policy like they have in other parts of the world with a regulatory authority,” he said.
Source:Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment