BY: HighCelebritySquard
•••Labour faults interim order, bank, aviation workers join planned strike
•••IG orders police commissioners to prevent breakdown of law and order
The Nigeria Labour Congress has kicked against a court order secured by the Federal Government restraining the union and the Trade Union Congress from embarking on a planned nationwide strike over the removal of fuel subsidy.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said the strike would go on Wednesday as planned, noting that the labour centre was not aware of the court order stopping the industrial action.
Justice O. Y. Anuwe of the National Industrial Court handed down the order against the NLC and TUC 48 hours before the commencement of the industrial action as the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba met with police managers in Abuja where he ordered them to carry out effective deployments to prevent hoodlums from hijacking the protests.
Speaking to the media while taking a break during a meeting with government officials at the Presidential Villa on Monday, Ajaero said, “The industrial court order came late after the close of business today. So the NLC is not aware of it and it is not even mentioned in the meeting. By tomorrow (today), they won’t find anybody at the NLC office to serve it to because, by then, we will all be on the field mobilising for the strike.”
The NLC has said earlier on Monday that the strike action would be for an indefinite period.
Responding to a question on the duration of the strike, the National Treasurer of NLC, Akeem Hambali simply said, ‘’It is indefinite for now.”
Asked whether there was a plan to shelve the action, he said, “Strike will commence on Wednesday except otherwise directed by the National Executive Council.”
But in a last-ditch move to avert the strike, the government again called for a meeting with the NLC leaders at the Presidential Villa. The meeting was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
The government representatives had on Wednesday last week met both the NLC and Trade Union Congress leaders, but the meeting ended in a deadlock.
The NLC was however absent from the meeting the government held with the labour leaders on Sunday.
But the FG on Monday obtained a court order stopping the strike. In the suit filed by the FG, the court held that the industrial action, “if not circumvented’’ is capable of disrupting economic activities and essential sectors from carrying out vital functions.
Justice Anuwe specifically barred the NLC and the TUC from “embarking on the planned industrial action/or strike of any nature, pending the determination of the motion on notice dated 5th June 2023.”
It equally ordered that the two labour centres listed as defendants/respondents in the matter should be “immediately served with the originating processes in the suit, the motion on notice, as well as the interim order.
The FG had in the suit marked: NICN/ABJ/158/2023, which it filed through the Federal Ministry of Justice, applied for an order of interim injunction restraining the two unions, their members, agents, employees, workmen, servants, proxies or affiliates from embarking on the planned industrial action which was to commence on Wednesday.
Lawyer to the FG and Director, Civil Litigation, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Maimuna Shiru, maintained that the proposed strike action was capable of disrupting economic activities, and the health and educational sectors.
The government tendered exhibits FGN 1, 2, and 3, which were notices from the NLC, TUC, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists to their members, asking them to withdraw their services with effect from Wednesday, June 7.
The court held that it was empowered and clothed by section 7(b) of the NIC Act, 2006, with the exclusive jurisdiction in matters relating to ‘the grant of any order to restrain any person or body from taking part in any strike, lockout or any industrial action or any conduct in contemplation or in furtherance of strike, lockout or industrial action.’’
It held that sections 16 and 19(a) of the NIC Act 2006, also empowered it to grant urgent interim reliefs.
The court held that the affidavit of urgency as well as the submission of the FG’s lawyer revealed “a scenario that may gravely affect the larger society and the well-being of the nation at large.”
Anuwe stated, “Counsel has pointed out that students of secondary schools nationwide, especially those writing WAEC exams nationwide, will be affected. The tertiary institutions that have only just resumed after a long ASUU strike will also be affected, not leaving the health sector, amongst other sectors, and above all, the economy of the nation. In my view, this is a situation of extreme urgency that will require the intervention of this court.”
He subsequently fixed June 19 for the hearing in the suit.
Aviation, bank workers
Meanwhile, aviation and bank workers’ unions have directed their members to join the strike which is expected to ground airport operations and banking activities at all financial institutions nationwide.
Aviation workers under the aegis of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers on Monday announced the planned withdrawal of services as directed by the NLC.
In a notice issued on June 5, the three unions said they would be joining their counterparts in other sectors to embark on a total withdrawal of service from 12 am Wednesday.
It directed all members of the unions to comply with the directive.
The notice signed by the General Secretary of NUATE, Ocheme Aba, the Secretary General of ANAP, Abdul Saidu, and the Deputy General Secretary of NAAPE, Umoh Ofonime, called on all branches, state councils, and zonal councils of the unions to mobilize their members in preparation for the strike.
The notice read, ”The National Executive Council of Nigerian Labour Congress met on Friday 2nd of June, 2023, and decided that Congress will embark on a nationwide mobilisation and withdrawal of services against the fraudulent increase in the pump price of petrol.
“Further to the NLC directive, all branches, state councils, and zonal councils of all the unions in the aviation industry are hereby directed to mobilize all their members in preparation for a total withdrawal of service from 12 am of Wednesday 7th June 2023.
“All the leadership of the unions mentioned above is to ensure strict compliance with the directives as services in the public and private sectors are to be withdrawn. Please ensure strict compliance.”
However, the President of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Ilitrus Ahmad, disclosed that his union would not withdraw its services as they are not an affiliate of the NLC.
In solidarity with the NLC, the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution Employees, has disclosed that they would participate in the strike.
According to a statement signed by NUBIFIE General Secretary, Mohammed Sheikh, on Monday, the decision was in line with the resolution reached after the emergency meeting of the NLC last Friday.
“In this regard, we hereby direct all our zonal councils, domestic committee, and other organs of the union to ensure total compliance with the congress directive,” the statement said.
However, the President of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Mr Oluwole Olusoji, said ASSBIFI was waiting for directives from the TUC to determine its next move.
Meanwhile, the TUC through its General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, disclosed that it would again hold a meeting with the government team on Tuesday evening in furtherance of the discussions on the impact of the fuel subsidy removal held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Sunday.
During the meeting, the congress presented a charter of demands, including a demand for a review of the minimum wage to N200,000 and tax breaks for workers.
In response, the FG’s team promised to deliver the demands to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for review.
Group supports FG
The President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said those agitating for the continuation of subsidy must understand that the country had spent over N13tn in subsidising petrol, at the detriment of key sectors of the economy.
He said the labour congress should give room for dialogue, stressing that oil marketers would not shut their filling stations as the NLC embarks on its nationwide industrial action.
Gillis-Harry stated, “PETROAN’s position is that the NLC should be patient and exhaust all the possibilities of reasonable discussion. This is because, at the end of the day, Nigerians are the ones to suffer, as they are already suffering.
“Subsidy removal is a very difficult and hard decision, but it must be made and PETROAN supports that. Can you imagine spending N13tn on subsidies for about 16 years? Do you know what that amount of money would have accomplished for the country in terms of infrastructure, health, education, etc?’’
He said the discussion between the Federal Government and NLC should go ahead, adding that stakeholders in the downstream sector were also trying to get the government to sit down with oil marketers and come to an agreement on what to do.
Gillis-Harry said every player in the sector, including labour unions, “should be looking for solutions, not anybody threatening anybody. That is my take issue.”
Asked whether some oil marketers might be tempted to join in the strike, the PETROAN president replied in the negative, adding that such actions would further worsen the plights of Nigerians.
“So, as a responsible association of businessmen, we do not intend to join in the fray to cause more problems and hardship for Nigeria. We are not joining the strike. That’s our take,” the PETROAN president stated.
Also speaking on the issue, the President of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, Yusuf Othman, said NARTO endorsed the immediate halt in the payment of subsidy on petrol by President Tinubu during his inaugural address.
“For us, we support the full deregulation of the downstream oil sector, and of course, we expect that some palliative should be in place. But now that subsidy is gone, the palliative can be put in place.’’
He also urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the Federal Government as regards the removal of the subsidy, adding that the subsidy regime only benefitted and enriched very few persons.
“We expect that Nigerians should wait for what the government has on the table for us because sincerely speaking there are very few beneficiaries of the subsidy regime as against the majority of Nigerians,” Yusuf stated.
In the meantime, the Ogun, and Sokoto NLC chapters have backed the strike action just as the Kwara State government reduced work hours.
