The TUC said the NLC did not carry it along before deciding on the strike planned for February 27 and 28, 2024.
All seems not well between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as the latter has claimed that the former did not carry it along before declaring a two-day nationwide industrial action planned for February 27 and 28, 2024.
TUC Secretary General Nuhu Toro, in a letter to the NLC leadership dated February 19, 2024, expressed disappointment that the Joe Ajaero-led labor group did not carry the Festus Osifo-led trade association along before declaring a planned strike despite that the two groups unanimously issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement its agreement with the Organised Labour and address the mounting economic crisis of survival in Nigeria.
The TUC said the 14-day ultimatum will expire today (Thursday) and both centers ought to agree on the next step but the NLC on February 16 declared a two-day protest to commence after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum it jointly issued to the government.
The TUC general secretary said, “It is important that this is the third time that such unilateral declaration is happening under your leadership, we are therefore constrained to formally put this on record as various discussions, communications, and interventions have failed. The first and second times could pass as a human error but a third time would in our opinion translate to an intentional act to undermine us.
“Also note that we are not averse to the issuance of your resolution because our members equally feel the pain, even if it’s a weeklong national strike, but we have a huge problem with the unilateral declaration for a process we both muted and agreed because our members are equally concerned about the rising cost of living and not particularly the ultimatum, why can’t we see through the ultimatum that expires within the same period before jointly addressing other issues of mutual concern or at worst consolidate them?
For the avoidance of doubt, we fully understand that NLC is an independent labor force center that has the right to make independent decisions, it is pertinent that when such decisions are taken unilaterally, there is a need to go ahead and implement unilaterally.”
The Department of State Services (DSS) has since urged the NLC to shun the planned strike and pursue dialogue and negotiation, instead of engaging in actions that could escalate tensions but the Ajaero-led group has insisted on going ahead with the industrial action.
See the full statement by the TUC:
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