Indefinite strike warning: Why FG must resolve with Labour on subsidy palliative

Recent policies of the new government led by President Bola Tinubu have no doubt brought Nigeria into a phase full of thoughts, debates,  and streams of discourses. The lamentations which have trailed the removal of subsidy on petrol (Premium Motor Spirit) have left a broad discourse before the Nigerian public. It is one decision which touching the wide and divide of the nation’s life has left stakeholders across sectors with their view points according to interests. While the government has made and continued to make efforts to convince Nigerians on the benefits that holds in the long run on the policy, yet the reality Nigerians were conditioned into with the immediate hardship that trailed the development is one that cannot deny itself with reactions.

One expression of such reactions have found reflection in the resistance of labour forces to the subsidy removal policy: Since, the policy protests by labour force have not ceased to take place. It has now become a toll of reactions as the organised labour has again declared resolve to embark on another strike, this time, an indefinite one.

The declaration of the indefinite strike is trailing the earliest which held two days across the nation, last Tuesday, September 05 and Wednesday, September 06. Barely a week after leading the two-day nationwide warning strike, the organised labour again has threatened to begin an indefinite strike should the Federal Government fail to meet its demands at the end of a 21-day ultimatum which will expire in about a week.

According to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the proposed strike was necessary following the failure of the Federal Government to provide palliatives to assuage the hardship of Nigerians as a result of the fuel subsidy removal. The arguments of the organised labour have resonated in commensurate standard in the provisions made available by the government as palliative to cushion the hardship occasioned by the policy.

The intended strike which may commence any day from next week may lead to an indefinite shutdown of commercial and economic activities across the Country. The NLC has argued that the paltry provisions of sharing one bag of rice among dozens of citizens is irrational compared to the millions of Naira given to lawmakers in the National Assembly.

The NLC which had on September 1 handed down a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over the delay in sharing of palliatives, had said it might be compelled to declare an indefinite labour action if appropriate responses from the government were not taken.

The two-day warning strike on September 05 and 06, had partially grounded social and economic activities. The strike had recorded partial and full compliance in some states, leaving  banks, ministries, departments, and agencies closed to the public service in some states. The NLC leadership had said the action was in preparation for a total shutdown which would start at the expiration of the ultimatum next week. Among other demands, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress were asking for include wage awards, implementation of palliatives, tax exemptions and allowances to the public sector workers and a review of the minimum wage.

The Federal Government had made a commitment to restructure the framework for engagement with the organised Labour on palliatives. The eight-week timeframe set for the conclusion of the process expired in August with no concrete action on record. The committees were given eight weeks to conclude their assignment and hasten the implementation of the framework in cushioning the effect of petrol subsidy removal on Nigerians, but weeks after the time frame expired, the sub-committees had yet to meet or actualise their mandates as lamented by labour force.

President Bola Tinubu had since June 19 set up the Presidential Steering Committee and various sub-committees to discuss the framework to be adopted on the palliatives. The sub-committees had been created to implement Federal Government’s palliative package in areas such as Cash Transfers, Social Investment Programme, Cost of Governance, Energy, and Mass Transit and Housing.

This was a fall-out of the President’s closed-door session with the leadership of the NLC and the TUC during a nationwide protest by the organised labour. The NLC had last week shunned a settlement talk organised by the government, while going on with its planned strike last week.

The NLC warning ultimatum letter to the Federal Government on September 1, 2023, will have its termination on September 22, 2023, (Friday), to record the end of the 21-day ultimatum. The NLC had argued that the Federal Government has failed to honour promises by it including restructuring the committees, saying no negotiations are ongoing between the labour force and the Federal Government.

NLC had maintained that the palliative measures declared by the Government which earlier included the proposed payment of N8,000 for six months to vulnerable households were insults to Nigerians. The review for subsequent framework which have brought distribution of food items with the disbursement of N5billion to each States have not either appealed to the demands of the NLC, arguing the alleged  allocation of over N70billion for each  legislators of the National Assembly to get over N100m in a country where Nigerians are suffering, remains irreconcilable.

While the Federal Government has continued to make its point in effort to strike conviction for labour force to reason with it, it is also incontroveritible that labour too has its points of arguments. It is therefore only rational for the government to make its negotiation terms clearly defined with the labour force, with the political readiness and will to honour agreements reached for settlement. It is pertinent for the government to ensure balance on the negotiation table while giving credence to the need to maintain an atmosphere conducive to chart the course of growth and development.

It is pertinent to note that only under a stable system can such course of growth be placed on the drive of balance through concerted efforts. The last two-day strike which held across the nation had recorded not only economic, social and political disruptions, but the defacing disruptions were impacts of inconsistency not needed for development in all phases. For instance, while financial institutions were closed to citizens in some states, other private and public institutions were shut for operations, just as in some States, election tribunals ruling were stalled.

Nigeria needs balance and consistency for the desired growth and if the subsidy removal policy would record its intended end, the place of coordination in thoughts and actions must align to drive the process. Hence, it is important the government come to terms with the negotiation for settlement to synchronise perspective and efforts towards the same end.