- Over Minimum Wage To Withdraw Services
- Affiliate Unions Direct Members
- FG Pleads For Time
- Action Unlawful, AGF Tells NLC, TUC
BARING last minute changes over a nationwide strike billed for today, the Organised Labour, has called on workers of all categories in the public service, to begin a total strike today to protest the lingering disagreement over a new minimum wage for workers in the country. Already, affiliate unions of the Organised Labour have mobilised their members for the strike action.
A new minimum wage was due on May 31 and the Federal Government and the Organised Labour have met severally without reaching an agreement on what a living wage should be. While labour has suggested N495,000 from the initial N650,000, the Federal Government merely moved from N49,000 to N60,000, an amount that infuriated leadership of the organised labour.
Intermittently, labour has warned that workers will not wait beyond May 31 to get a new wage until after the last meeting held on Friday, May 31 deadlocked, thereby forcing labour to declare an industrial action and directed its affiliates to mobilise their members to commence strike with effect from today.
As at 5pm, on Sunday, virtually all the unions have sent out letters directing their members to join the strike. Workers expected to participate in the strike include health workers, judicial, senior staff of universities and colleges of education, petroleum industry, aviation, civil servants, banks and electricity workers.
The unions, whose letters were made available to newsmen and sighted by our correspondent, on Sunday, include the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN); Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN); Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU); National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE); Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NURW); National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE); Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG); Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN); Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU); National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW); Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE); Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC).
For example: PENGASSAN letter to members titled: “Directive to Embark on a Nationwide Strike” reads: “Following the directive from our umbrella body, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), on the above subject, you are hereby directed to withdraw your services from all work locations effective Monday, June 3rd, 2024. The withdrawal of members includes offices, logistics bases, field operations, terminal operations, loading points, etc. The only exceptions are personnel manning for safety.
The NUEE directive to members across the country in part reads, “With reference to the circular from the NLC dated May 31, 2024, we are to mobilise and embark on an indefinite nationwide strike starting today, Monday, June 3, 2024, by 0:00. All national, state, and chapter executives are requested to start the mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive.”
To its members nationwide, the Banks Union stated, “This is to inform all NUBIFIE organs that the Nigeria Labour Congress has directed all affiliates to commence an indefinite strike beginning on Monday, June 3, 2024. In total compliance with the directive from the NLC, you are hereby directed to mobilise for effective participation in your respective zonal councils and domestic committees.”
But the Federal Government has appealed to the NLC and TUC to prevail on their members to shelve the planned strike, saying it was not in the interest of the nation. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, noted that the government had consistently demonstrated commitment and goodwill throughout the negotiations with organised labour.
… Your Action, Unlawful
– AGF Tells NLC, TUC
In a related development, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, has notified the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) that their June 3 planned strike action is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.
He has, therefore, warned them to shelve the strike and return to the negotiation table so as not to run foul of the law guiding labour dispute.
In a letter to the leadership of the two workers’ umbrella bodies on the consequences of their actions in respect of the planned strike, the AGF faulted the mode of its declaration as being in gross violation of the labour laws.
The AGF, who cited various relevant laws, insisted that both the NLC and TUC ought to have served a 15-day notice on the Federal Government before contemplating any strike action.
He said the two bodies also violated the International Labour Organization(ILO) laws because the conditions precedent for declaration of strike action were neither employed nor met.
According to the letter, the order of the National Industrial Court (NIC) of Nigeria, which barred the NLC and TUC from going on strike, was still in force and binding on all parties in the labour dispute.
The letter, personally signed by the AGF, emphasized that the order of the court had not been appealed by the NLC and TUC, neither was it stayed or set aside and counselled the workers’ leaders to respect the subsisting court order.
He declared the planned strike action as premature, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and pleaded with the workers not to proceed with it.
The AGF, however, suggested that the two labour unions proceed to the negotiation meeting already adjourned to a date that would be communicated to them.
The letter is copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief of Staff to the President, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, National Security Adviser NSA, Inspector General of Police IGP and Director General, State Security Service (SSS).
… As NECA Begs Labour To Shelve Strike
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has urged organised labour to shelve its planned indefinite strike as it could reverse the recent marginal gains on the economy.
The NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, who made the call in a statement, on Sunday, said the strike could incapacitate the private sector.
Oyerinde said that the call for strike was ill-timed and ill-advised, and would not only impoverish Nigerians, “but also escalate the already worrisome unemployment situation”.
“The call for an indefinite strike even when the Tripartite Committee has not completed its proceedings, is ill-advised.
“The committee, being a tripartite committee, with equal right and privileges, was to consult extensively and make recommendations to the President and Commander-in-Chief.
“The president’s final approval will, thereafter, be passed to the National Assembly for legislative action before the president will give assent.
“Aggrieved parties are at liberty to make representations and freely express their views at the National Assembly before a new National Minimum Wage Bill will be passed into law.
“While it is normal for parties to have divergent opinion, the President and Commander-in-Chief has the final authority.
“It is, therefore, worrisome that Organised Labour would call for an indefinite strike when these processes are yet to be concluded”, he said.
The director-general, however, said that the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria(OPSN) would do all that was necessary, within extant legislation, to protect its interest and survival, should the strike commence. (NAN)
