THE Joint Action Front (JAF) last weekend at its 4th Congress resolved to work with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and all trade unions in order to revive the Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) which had been the backbone of vibrant activism in Nigeria over the years.
At the 4th Congress held from 4th-5th September, 2021 at the Textile Labour House, Ogba, Lagos, JAF, a pro-labour civil society movement, said in a statement that it is determined to deepen its collaboration the two labour centres and trade unions in the country towards an alternative political agenda of socialist reconstruction of Nigeria.
In the statement signed by Dr Dipo Fashina and Comrade Abiodun Aremu, JAF’s Chairperson and Secretary, respectively; JAF reiterated its commitment to the struggles of workers and the oppressed poor masses in Nigeria just as it asserted its readiness to, in addition to working with the NLC and TUC, maintain its tradition of solidarity and joint struggles with the individual trade unions and professional organisations.
According to JAF, its call for “system change is not just a slogan,” but that it is “committed to fight for it through the struggles and mobilisation for socialist transformation of Nigeria.”
While noting that it recognises the existence in Nigeria of issues arising from claims of ethnic injustice, and is in principle, supportive of any justified demands for justice, JAF however stated that it “remains committed to a united struggle of organised Labour, artisans and professionals and the poor masses against all anti-poor capitalist policies, responsible for the socio-economic crises in the country – unemployment, excruciating poverty and hardships, collapse of basic infrastructure, widespread insecurity of life and property, inflation and skyrocketed prices of foodstuffs, goods and services, etc.”
The Congress, JAF stated, therefore resolved “to work towards the unity of the working class and the oppressed masses in Nigeria;” a step it affirms will be taken independently in collaboration with organised labour “to develop a program of action that will unite the working people and the oppressed masses, irrespective of ethnic or religious background.”
