The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) emphasized that issuing ultimatums to the government doesn’t imply a desire for strikes but rather a push for necessary reforms.
The NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) jointly issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to honor a 16-point agreement made with workers since October last year.
Uchenna Ekwe, Head of International Relations at the NLC, clarified the purpose behind such actions, highlighting that ultimatums are only issued after repeated attempts at private communication with the government fail to yield results.
“Usually people see when NLC starts putting warning and if you notice the comments, people will say we don’t want a strike, it will disrupt. Balancing all these, Let me make this clear, the NLC is actually never interested in a strike, we don’t want a strike; we want the right things to be done,” Ekwe affirmed during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
The NLC stressed that despite ongoing reminders to the government regarding the October agreement, some key points remain unaddressed, necessitating public action.
Dismissive of accusations that Labour is merely posturing, Ekwe asserted that such tactics serve no benefit to workers or the Nigerian populace.
Regarding the agreement’s partial implementation, particularly concerning wage awards, Ekwe pointed out widespread non-compliance among states, highlighting the need for uniformity.
Furthermore, Ekwe criticized the inadequacy of palliatives provided by several states in response to the petrol subsidy removal, labeling them as insufficient and impractical.
The NLC, along with the TUC, conveyed their dissatisfaction with the government’s inaction, setting a 14-day deadline for compliance, effective from February 9 to February 23, 2024.