A review of strikes led by the NLC and TUC in the first half of this year suggests that they are more effective when the NLC and TUC work together. The high points were the 17 and 20 day strikes in Taraba and Nasarawa states led by a united NLC and TUC.
These were tremendous achievements by states not previously known for their militancy. The calling off of the planned strike in Kano by the NLC in early April was probably the low point, with the suspension of the strike in Kaduna after only three days another great disappointment, after the TUC paid visit to the Kaduna State Government Head of Service on the first day of the strike.
Socialists need to work tirelessly for labour unity and solidarity with all strikes. We know that the workers united will never be defeated, but that we continually suffer from divisions within our ranks. We need to strategically work for unity of the trade union movement under one centre. We also need to argue for unity in action with a view to long-term unification in all cases where there are separate unions for ‘junior’ and ‘senior’ workers.
The protests by the NLC and TUC on 10th March show that it is only really the trade union movement that is able to mobilise across Nigeria. Greater unity would improve the effectiveness of this national reach.
NLC and TUC started an indefinite strike in Kebbi State on mid-night of Tuesday 5th January, but suspended the next day as the state government invited them for negotiations on the minimum wage. It was over unpaid leave grant and minimum wage.
The NLC and TUC were able to organise protests at the Houses of Assembly in most states on Wednesday 10th March over the planned removal of the minimum wage from the exclusive list. The protests in Lagos and Abuja were widely reported and had thousands attending. There were also protests in Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Calabar, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara states. In total, protests took place in at least 25 state capitals.
NLC and TUC began a strike over the minimum wage in Taraba State on 22nd March. It was suspended after 17 days on 8th April. “During the period of the strike action, the Organised Labour had a series of meaningful dialogue with the government,” Dame Musa Buhari, Chair of State Joint Public Sector Negotiation Council – joint NLC and TUC had reported.
Despite striking for nearly three weeks, some of the workers felt their leaders had been “bought over by the government” and they displayed “a betrayal of trust”. Modalities for implementation of minimum wage within three months had been agreed.
NLC called off a three-day warning strike over the minimum wage in Kano just before the proposed start of the strike on Thursday 8th April, 2021.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) called a five-day warning general strike in Kaduna State from Monday 17th May, 2021. For three days, growing protests were held in Kaduna. Water, electricity, schools, offices, trains, airlines, banks and more, all came to a standstill.
The strike was suspended on the evening of Wednesday due to the invitation to a meeting by the Minister of Labour. Here the NLC agreed to “no further industrial action on these issues” and Kaduna State agreed to no victimisation – the usual agreements to end a dispute, even though either party may violate it even before ink dries.
Thus, while the NLC has kept its promise and maintained the suspension of the strike, the Kaduna State government did not keep its side of the bargain. For example, it retrenched 18 lecturers from the State University for supporting the strike. The NLC National Executive Council agreed on 22nd June, 2021 to mobilise for a return to strike action. But this has yet to be acted upon. Negotiations continue with the Ministry of Labour, but the NLC is now in a weak position and the governor has retained his confidence. This state of affairs could be reversed if we are able to mobilise for action on a national scale on all the issues which are affecting ordinary people.
NLC and TUC in Nasarawa State started a general strike from Wednesday, 16th June, 2021. Consequential increase from the minimum wage yet to be paid and promotions not provided in recent years. Salary arrears from August 2016 are also outstanding. The state has agreed not to implement its threat of no-work-no-pay. But the state wanted to include a clause in the agreement that the promotions will be reversed if FAAC allocations drop below N4 billion a month in future. The governor agreed to remove this at a meeting with NLC on Wednesday 30th June, 2021. Workers returned to work on Tuesday 6th July, 2021 after almost three weeks.
Povey, a member of Socialist Labour and Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), writes from Abuja, and could be reached via email: drewpovey@btinternet.com
