A group, Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) on Friday asked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to activate its threat to embark on a three-day warning strike if the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the other university unions were not resolved soon after the recent nationwide protests.
While condemning what it described as the ‘lackadaisical attitude of the Buhari/APC-led federal government on the ongoing strike action, the group said instead of meeting the demands of the striking lecturers, the federal government had taken extreme measures in stopping the payment of salaries of the workers.
“We consider this action unhealthy and unfit for a developing country like Nigeria. Therefore, we call on the Federal government to immediately meet the demands of the ASUU and other striking staff unions so that students can resume,” said the statement, signed by Damilola Owot, WYSN’ Secretary.
While it acknowledged the 2-day solidarity protest by the NLC in support of the ongoing ASUU strike, WYSN also asserted that “only a continuous and ultimately total shutdown of every sector of the economy can compile [sic] the government to meet demands of striking unions…
“Therefore, we call on the leadership of the NLC to start preparing for three days’ general strikes action [sic] that will cut across all sectors of the economy not only to demand that the demands of ASUU are met but also to demand better governance, improved security, solution to the unending inflation, massive provision of safe and secure jobs, public prosecution of looters, among many other demands.
“This will also be a basis for the NLC to start mobilizing for a mass-based political alternative armed with socialist ideas in order to wrestle [sic] power from the few bourgeois who oversee our collective resources and convert them to profit-making avenue for their personal, selfish desire. It is until the class barrier is broken through a socialist program and every citizen is averagely equal that the leadership of the country will take education serious as it will also directly affect their wards. The trade union centers must unite in the fight against inflation and insecurity. The unity of the oppressed working people is need to build a movement that can end the power of the ruling class.”
