In its bid to ensure industrial harmony and economic stability in the country, Federal Government on Tuesday evening held a crucial conciliatory meeting with the striking oil workers behind closed door.
Igwe Achese, President of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) who had earlier threatened to shun the meeting without Joe Ajaero, President of United Labour Congress (ULC), later appeared at the Confererence room of the Minister of Labour and Employment at about 4:08pm.
Before his arrival, Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Productivity who initiated the negotiation meeting, had mandated Bolaji Adebiyi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, to interface with the NUPENG Secretary who led the Union’s delegation in absence of Achese.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary who presided over the session, denied Labour Editors and Corresponden Association of Nigeria (LEACAN) access to the meeting.
Recall that the Minister had threatened to invoke relevant labour laws on the promoters of ULC, which he described as an illegal federation of trade unions. He also urged Nigerian workers to shun call by ULC to embark on nationwide strike.
In response to the Minister’s statement, Ajaero in a statement obtained by BusinessDay, queried the rationale behind Federal Government’s meeting with Joint Health Staff Union (JOHESU) and National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) who embarked on similar nationwide industrial action without being registered by Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“Nigerians should ask the federal Government that has refused to negotiate with us in order to address the issues we raised on the spurious charge that ULC is not recognised; who registered JOHESU as a trade union? Who registered NARD?
“The same federal Government has been negotiating with these unregistered bodies and the issue of certification never arose. The talk about registration or non-registration is therefore a crass ploy by the federal Government to play politics with our legitimate demands thus divert the attention of unsuspecting Nigerians from the serious issues affecting Nigerian workers and masses which we had raised in our list of demands.”
He maintained that the “refusal to get distracted forced the ULC to press on with the strike action as earlier proposed and we want to thank God that we have far exceeded our target for the first day. The overwhelming response by Nigerian workers and the solidarity which Nigerian masses have shown to our call has emboldened us encouraging us to work harder to make the second day even more impactful.
“The trumped up news that NUBIFIE has pulled out of the Strike is a further manifestation of the fight back against the strike by a combination of unfortunate leaders within the NLC and TUC who are busy romancing with the federal Government while Nigerians wallow in abject poverty and suffering. For the avoidance of doubt, NUBIFIE has not pulled out of the strike and are involved seriously in ensuring that it succeeds.
“Danjuma Musa and comrade Sheik Mohammed are the President and General Secretary of NUBIFIE respectively and only they alone has the power to make such pronouncement through their respective organs and they have not done so. Ayuba aand co trying to raise a renegade group as he has always done to challenge the authority of the legitimate leadership of the union is shameful and and a sacrilegious act within the labour movement.
“The one he parades as his president of NUBIFIE is ceased to be a member of the Union since January 2017 vide a letter he wrote to the Union and his Management including other instruments through which he ordered his management to stop deducting his check-off dues to the union. Trying to use such people to make such a claim is therefore laughable at best,” Ajaero noted.
In his assessment of the strike action, Ajaero who doubles as General Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), urged all affiliates of ULC to “show the same commitment which they have shown today in engaging tomorrow’s action. Let us make tomorrow more impactful and compelling so that the forces of evil will be forced to listen to our legitimate demands.
“Let us refuse to be distracted no matter the gimmicks they employ in trying to discourage Nigerians. We shall press forward until the mission is accomplished. Ensure that Petroleum products’ supplies get tightened the more, ensure that the ATMs get disconnected, ensure that there is erratic power supply and eventual total blackout; ensure that Rail services are disrupted; ensure that the shopping malls are not working and ensure that those in the Government houses do not get supplies of electricity and diesel to run their generator. These shall continue until they meet our demands!
“We have adopted a gradual and systematic approach in implementing this strike in order to reduce the suffering that may be foisted on Nigerian workers and masses if we apply the whole weight at the same time. However we urge all Nigerians to bear with us as this is a necessary sacrifice we all must make to assist those in government to be more responsible and responsive to the demands of Nigerian workers and masses. Compliance level will be tighter tomorrow and shall be regrettably increased as the strike is allowed by the federal Government to continue from day to day.
“Finally, we urge the patriots who are working behind the scene to get the matter resolved to put pressure on the federal Government to listen to Nigerian workers and masses which it claims to lead. That is the only way we can get this matter amicably resolved. Our hands are always on the plough! Nothing shall take it away from where it is kept; not corruption and not intimidation; not gimmickry and not outright barefaced lies as spurn by the student liar and his puppets!”
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
