Nigerians stockpile food, fuel as Labour embark on strike
*Strike at variance with NIC order, on-going mediatory efforts – FG
*We can’t afford N600,000, say state govs
By Eze Chidozie and Daniel Tyokua
Following last Friday’s directives by Organised Labour to various affiliate unions to mobilise their members for an indefinite strike over the Federal government’s failure to meet the May 31st deadline for the announcement of a new national minimum wage and reversal to the old electricity tariffs, Nigerians have embarked on last minute purchases and stockpiling of essential items in preparation for the expected long drawn battle.
Our Correspondents nationwide observed over the weekend that people trooped to the markets to make bulk purchases, stockpiling food items and petroleum products in readiness for the battle.
In virtually all the markets across the country, Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Enugu, Kaduna, Jos, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Ilorin, Aba, Owerri, Onitsha, Makurdi and several other cities, people came out in their numbers between Friday and Sunday purchasing food items, toiletries and other essential items in large quantities.
Similarly at petrol filling stations in these cities and even the sub-urbs and rural communities, long queues of vehicles were noticed with the owners saying they were attempting not to be beaten by the predicted rainfall.
Patronage at supermarkets and pharmaceutical shops increased dramatically.
Entries operators and others who depend on daily sales or activities to eke out a living were however lamenting the strike option by Labour, saying it would drastically affect their families.
And on Sunday, the NLC, has directed its state councils across the country to ensure total compliance.
Similarly, workers’ unions in the oil, electricity, financial and other critical sectors have pledged total support for the indefinite strike.
The tripartite committee on a new National Minimum Wage set up by the government failed to make a decision on a new national minimum wage after about four meetings.
Labour leaders had walked out of the meetings three times after rejecting government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS), offers.
On May 31, labour negotiators had walked out of the meeting for a third time, for the refusal by government to make a new offer beyond the N60,000 it had put forward.
*FG, state govs urge Labour to shelve planned strike
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has called on labour to put on hold its planned industrial action and return to the negotiation table.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in a letter dated 1st June, 2024 and addressed to the Presidents of the NLC and TUC drew the attention of labour to Sections 4(1) and 42(1) of the Trade Disputes Act, reminded them there must be statutory 15 days notice before labour could declare a trade dispute of that nature.
He also drew their attention to section 18 of the Act on the consequences of their proposed action.
He reminded them that following the law, “the call to industrial action is premature, ineffectual and illegal.”
He also said the proposed strike is at variance with the order of the National Industrial Court (NIC) and on-going mediatory settlement efforts over the subject matter of the order of NIC in Suit No NICN/ABJ/150/2023 in the case FGN vs NLC & Anor, pointing out that the order restrains both the NLC and TUC from embarking on strike, stressing that the order has neither been restrained nor set aside.
The AGF advised labour to return to negotiation table as a more civil approach instead of foisting more hardship on Nigerians.
The letter was dispatched shortly after the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, begged labour to halt its plan.
Mohammed said, “some of the state governors will not be able to pay. Even at the moment, the current minimum wage of N30,000, some states are not able to pay. And I know labor leaders are really leaders.
“They should look at this because the strike may cripple the economy and further cause pain to workers and all of us.
“So, we are pleading that we should have a combining point where we can look at our affordability,” he said, expressing the views of other governors.
