SaharaReporters had reported that the union changed its direction after meeting with the delegates of the Nigerian government at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has explained the reasons behind the suspension of its planned nationwide strike action over the recent hikes in fuel prices as a result of subsidy removal.
SaharaReporters had reported that the union changed its direction after meeting with the delegates of the Nigerian government at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
The union had announced that some measures had been put in place and an agreement was reached for the strike not to go on as planned.
In a press release dated June 6, 2023, jointly signed by Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NLC president, and Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, the NLC General Secretary, the union explained that a pending court order prohibiting them from embarking on the planned strike was one of the reasons for the suspension of the nationwide shutdown.
It noted that it also recognised the willingness of the “government for continuous engagement through dialogue and to offer reasonable palliatives in due course to cushion the effect of its policies and some levels of understanding reached”.
According to the National Executive Council of the NLC, it also considered “the mood of the Socio-polity (after the) last elections and the need to pursue national stability.”
The statement reads: “An emergency National Executive Council (NEC) of the Congress which was called to discuss the outcome of the Dialogue between the NLC and the Federal Government on the Petroleum Products Price hike after extensive deliberation observed that: Whereas the previous NEC-in-Session had ordered a nation-wide withdrawal of Service and mass protest over the Petroleum Price hike by the federal government;
“Whereas the federal government was in breach of the 2023 Appropriation Act, the NLC will not encourage lawlessness on its part;
“Taking into account that the federal government has procured a Court injunction restraining Congress from proceeding with the proposed nation-wide strike as the NEC-in-session had ordered to begin, Wednesday, the 7th of June, 2023.”
Hence, it noted that its National Executive Committee resolved to “commend and applaud the diligence of the Congress' leadership in carrying out the assignment given to it by NEC”.
It said it also resolved to “demonstrate to the government the need to comply with the laws of the land, especially as it concerns obedience to the rulings of the Courts and their brazen disregard to the 2023 Appropriation Act”.
It noted that it, therefore, supports and accepts the decision of the “leadership of Congress to suspend the proposed strike action in compliance with the flawed rulings of the NIC (National Industrial Court) and also allow negotiations to flow freely and enable final agreement during or after the 19th June, 2023 negotiation round with the federal government”.
It, however, registered its “disgust and disapproval with the ruling of the National Industrial Court (NIC) for its continuous weaponization of the instrument of Exparte injunction in favour of Government against the interests of Nigerian workers in defiance of the position of the Supreme Court on the use of this instrument”.
“All affiliates and State Councils of Congress are hereby directed to suspend further action and mobilization until the outcome of the final negotiations,” it added.