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NLC suspends strike for
two weeks
•Palliative panel promises stable fuel prices
By Bassey Udo,
Paul Mumeh and
Adetutu Folasade-Koyi,
Abuja
Normalcy, relief and
business as usual. All of that would have returned to Nigeria this morning
after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) suspended the first phase of its
national sit-at-home protest on Thursday evening.
The suspension is
primarily for two weeks, but it may hold for far longer than that if the
palliative committee set up to devise ways of dampening the effects of the fuel
price hikes delivers on promise. It met in Abuja on Thursday after which it
made several soothing pledges. The NLC is cooperating with the committee,
though with conditions.
Labour took the
decision to sheath its sword, for now, in consultation with its coalition
allies, civil society groups, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Congress of Free
Trade Union (CFTU).
Corporate Nigeria had
been grounded since Monday, the first day of the industrial action, as economic
and social activities were put on ice after aggrieved citizens heeded the call
to stay away from work, public and private.
The arrangement
sounded convenient, and a rather stressed out populace simply converted the
period into a holiday to relax and to strengthen their relationship with family
and friends.
It was well heeded, and
became one of the most successful national strikes in the country. Besides,
violent confrontations were few and far between, a remarkable achievement
considering the magnitude of the operation.
On the fourth day on
Thursday, NLC President Adams Oshiomhole told journalists in Abuja that the
break would be for two weeks during which the coalition would meet to
“strategise and decide on the next date to continue with the
strike”.
He urged the
government to use the two weeks’ period to reverse the new fuel prices,
without which the coalition would meet within the next three weeks to fix a
date to resume the strike.
Oshiomhole expressed
satisfaction with the level of participation, “which cut across regional,
ethnic, religious and political divide” as an indication that Nigerians
can come together and prosecute a common agenda affecting their common destiny.
He explained, though,
that the issues could have been resolved without recourse to industrial action
if the government were amenable to dialogue and had acceded to Labour demands.
He said the coalition
has agreed to cooperate with the palliative committee if it is ready to meet
its conditions.
The conditions include
a reversal to the old prices and provision of a holistic solution to petroleum
products price instability.
His words: “We
are convinced that to merely reverse the prices and allow deregulation as
presently conceived and structured, based on import and cost recovery, is to
continue with this vicious circle. The committee has therefore agreed that it
must find a holistic resolution that will, among other things, guarantee price
stability for the future.
“Such a
resolution would naturally also address the question of the workings of the
refineries. It is only when we get to that point that we can reap the benefit
of the collective efforts that we have all made.
“Meeting the
grievances of the Nigerian people cannot be addressed by limiting the issues to
palliative as implied in Mr. President’s address. If the work of the
committee is going to worth any while, then it must deal with the issue of
price reversal. But, more importantly, the committee must deal with the issue
of price stability”.
According to
Oshiomhole, the problem with the deregulation policy in the last four years has
been that once a strike is called to protest a price hike, Labour sometimes
succeeded in getting the government to secure a price reversal or reduction
only for the government to go back a few months later.
“That is how
products prices have moved from N20 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS),
or petrol, to the present N55.00 per litre and kerosene from N18 per litre to
the present N61 a litre.
“We would also
decide on the duration of that second phase. It is not that we want to threaten
anybody. It is just that we cannot, in the light of our previous experience,
trust the government as it has a history of refusing to dialogue once a strike
is suspended. This time around we have decided we must sustain the strike until
the issue of immediate reversal is achieved and a long term commitment to price
stability is worked out so that we can get out of this vicious circle”.
Echoing
Oshiomhole’s concerns on Thursday, the palliative committee, led by
Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu, pledged to devise cushioning measures
against the harsh results of the price hikes and to work out a holistic
blueprint to end incessant price rises.
It rose from its
second meeting held in camera at the National Assembly and decided not to limit
itself to the scanty terms of reference provided by President Olusegun
Obasanjo.
Rather, it will go the
whole hug to discuss all issues, including current and future prices of
petroleum products and a mechanism to achieve price stability.
Information and
National Orientation Minister Chukwuemeka Chikelu, who answered questions from
journalists at the end of the parley, pleaded with Labour to suspend the
strike. The meeting was attended by Oshiomhole and other members of the NLC.
“We request
organised Labour, civil society organisations and other interest groups to
suspend the strike and call on workers to return to work, while the committee
settled down to its assignment”, Chikelu said.
Earlier, Mantu
clarified that the committee is not a negotiating team with Labour but an all
stakeholders’ panel to find lasting solutions to the incessant increase
in the prices of fuel products.
It has become
worrisome, he stressed, that the deregulation in the oil sector, unlike in
communication, is bringing more pain than relief to the people.
All Nigerians,
irrespective of status, have become victims of unabating increase in the prices
of petroleum products and the situation must be addressed, Mantu insisted.
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