For alleged disdainful and contemptuous disposition for the people and workers, organised Labour on Wednesday issued a seven days ultimatum to the Federal Government to reverse all anti-poor policies, or face an indefinite nationwide mass protest from August 2.
The ultimatum signed by the President and General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero and Emma Ugboaja respectively was issued at the end of the emergency meeting of the Central Working Committee of the body in Abuja.
The ultimatum is coming just as the Federal Government has accused Labour leadership of disobeying a pending court order against protests.
The NLC said the meeting deliberated on the dire economic situation in the country, which the people are facing since the present administration came to office on May 29, describing the mass suffering, poverty and angst by workers as consequent upon the insensitive policies of the government.
Citing the hike in the price of premium motor spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, from N185 per litre to N540 in May, and later to N617, the NLC said this and other anti-poor policies have left the workers and Nigerians deeply impoverished.
The government, it noted, “has shown enormous disdain and contempt for Nigerian people and workers” by continuing to act without regards to the welfare and cries of the citizenry.
“The government seems to have declared a war of attrition on Nigerian workers and masses without any care leaving them to the throes of hopelessness and helplessness,” the Labour movement said.
By refusing to put in place safeguards to protect Nigerians from the harsh economic situation that its policies have inflicted on the people, the NLC said the government has abdicated its responsibility to the people, while opting to offer themselves N70 bn largesse.
Also, Labour accused the government of abandoning the Committee it constituted to dialogue with the workers on palliatives to assuage their conditions, while embarking on unilateral actions and programmes.
Apart from treating Nigerians with impunity as “slaves and a conquered people”, the NLC expressed concern that the government has continued to rob the poor to pay the rich as demonstrated by its continued refusal to act on the agreement on alternatives to petrol in the country.
In addition to the hike in the price of petrol, which is affecting the prices of other goods and services, the NLC also accused the government of increases the value added tax (VAT) rate, school fees of all publicly owned secondary and tertiary institutions of learning.
The Labour movement said the government’s conduct was suggestive of its intention not to commit itself to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with NLC and TUC.
Consequently, the NLC resolved to demand the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government, including months of withheld salaries of university lecturers and workers as well as the increase in VAT rate.
Also, the called for the immediate inauguration of the Presidential Steering Committee as agreed in the earlier consequential dialogues on all issues affecting the welfare of the people.
The NLC gave the government seven days to meet their demands, failure of which would result in civil society organisations and Nigerians commencing a nationwide mass action from August 2 to compel the government to do so to save the nation.
Regardless, the government in a reaction through a statement from the Federal Ministry of Justice reminded the NLC that its call for a nationwide protest was contemptuous of the pending ruling of the National Industrial Court.in suit No. NICN/ABJ/158/2023 – Federal Government of Nigeria & Anor vs. Nigeria Labour Congress & Anor.
The statement by the Solicitor-General of the Federation & Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, B.E. Jedy-Agba, said that Justice Anuwe, J., had on June 5, 2023 granted an injunction restraining the NLC and its affiliates, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on the planned industrial action/or strike of any nature, pending the hearing and determination of the pending motion on notice.
