NLC Suspends Fuel Strike
To resume without warning
From Kola Ologbonniyan and Juliana Taiwo in Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Cong-ress of Free Trade Unions of Nigeria (CFTU) and the Civil Society Coalition, yesterday announced the suspension of the first phase of the strike which began last Monday to protest the new increases in the prices of petroleum products.
Also yesterday, the 33-member Committee set up by President Olusegun Obasanjo and headed by Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu, resolved to discuss all issues including current and future prices of petroleum products and mechanism for achieving price stability. It also requested organised labour, civil society organisations and other interest groups to suspend the strike and called on workers to return to work, while the committee settled down to its assignment.
NLC President, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, while addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja warned that if the Federal Government and the Stakeholders' Committee set up to look into the matter do not address the issue of price reversal and price stability, it would resume the strike without warning.
"We have decided in line with our original decision to make this strike four days, and having exhausted the four days, we have resolved now to suspend the strike for two weeks," he said.
He disclosed that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC would meet before the expiration of the two weeks break, which is the second phase to review the position of the government and the committee and if not satisfied particularly with government's response on the issues raised by labour, would resume the strike.
"We are hoping that within these two weeks, the immediate issue of price reversal has to be resolved, otherwise after two weeks our coalition would meet and would fix a date so that within the next three weeks we would agree on the date to resume the strike. 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 whenever a strike is suspended the government would go and would refuse to dialogue. 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.
"We were clear that this strike was going to last four days and that would represent the first phase. And that after that we would meet to strategise and decide on the next date to continue with the strike and would allow a break of about two weeks. Today represents the fourth day of the strike", he said.
Oshiomhole expressed satisfaction with the level of participation of Nigerians in the strike, which cut across religious, ethnic, regional and political divides.
"There have been reports from various parts of the country and we are satisfied that Nigerian people have spoken and have spoken clearly. The organised private sector complied by about 95 per cent and even the informal sector, characterised by small operators, self employed, market women. The level of compliance was quite substantial. The involvement of non-wage earners is particularly significant, considering the fact that they are not members of trade unions. But they are part of our allies, because the worker is part of a larger family and of a community.
"I am convinced by the level of participation which cuts across regional, ethnic, religious and even political divide. Nigerian people have demonstrated again that they can come together and prosecute a common agenda that affects our common destiny. We therefore want to place on record that we salute the courage, initiative of the Nigerian people which include workers, students, youths, farmers and even organisaed group like MAN, NECA and the banking community in order to participate in this national protest", he said.
The NLC President described as unfortunate that the Federal Government did not take advantage of the 14-day ultimatum, which was meant to make it possible to resolve the issue without resorting to strike. He said the four-day strike had to take place because of government's unwillingness to dialogue and that the government has not been able to accede to Labour's demands to reverse the price.
"As we are already aware, the government set up a stakeholders committee, which included organised labour, civil society groups as well as other sectors as MAN, NACCIMA, NECA and a number of government agencies. We have met twice, first the inaugural meeting and today being the first substantial meeting. We have agreed at the level of that meeting that 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 this committee is going to do will be worth any while then the committee must deal with the issue of price reversal but more importantly it must deal with the issue of price stability. Because the problem with policy has been that over the past four years we have gone on strike to protest price hike and sometimes we succeeded in getting price reversal or price reduction only for the government to go back few months later to hike prices. That is how products have moved from N20 per litre for PMS to the present N55.00 litre and kerosene from N18.00 to present N61.00 a litre.
"Therefore we are convinced that to merely reverse the prices and allow deregulation as presently conceived and structured, which is 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 resolution would naturally also address the question on 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", he said.
He said the fact that the government only set up a committee after the strike only shows that this government only dialogue during strike. He urged President Obasanjo to purge his cabinet of special advisers and assistants that have been ensuring that he is fed with half truths. He said despite the success of the strike, the President's aides have said it is a failure.
"It is clear that our President is being misled. A proof is the national broadcast of October 8, 2003 when he told us that fuel price is better fixed at N40, so that Nigerians will feel the pain once and for all and thereafter prices will begin to come down. And yet there had been increases after that broadcast. His aides have perfected the act of telling him what he wants to hear instead of listening to people like us that are telling the bitter truth", he said.
Oshiomhole also condemned the threat by NICON Hilton Hotels management to sack its workers including the chairman of the NLC Federal Capital Territory chapter, Issa Ibrahim, Chairman, NICON Hilton branch of the Hotel and Personnel Services Union, and Hassan Amedu, Secretary of the union and the treasurer, Bashiru Odojoro. He warned that the NLC would mobilise and stop any attempt to prevent workers from exercising their rights. The NLC president also warned the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai not to victimise those who participated in the strike.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Independent Consolidation Committee, Mantu said: "This is a patriotic assignment. We are looking for answers to our collective problems. We are all victims. This committee is unique because it brings together all segments of society to seek an answer to the problems confronting the nation."
He said the committee was set up to make an input into the way forward in the petroleum sector.
"If we don't tackle the issues squarely and sincerely, we will continue to have price hikes and strikes," he said.
|
