Subsidy Palliatives: Nigeria’s Labour Unions Insist On Wednesday Protest, Say Tinubu’s Measures Not Enough

National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Joe Ajaero has said the planned nationwide protest scheduled for  Wednesday will proceed.

Speaking Tuesday evening on ARISE NEWS, Ajaero said labour will continue to protest until it is heard. He said President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast on Monday did not address the key issues.

He claimed the planned protest is already yielding result as – in his opinion – President Tinubu only addressed the nation in a bid to avert He protest.

He also challenged the Police to make sure that the planned peaceful protest is not hijacked by hoodlums. 

Meanwhile while speaking with newsmen earlier on Tuesday after a rescheduled Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives meeting held at the State House, Abuja, Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Festus Osifo, stated that while President Bola Tinubu’s announced measures were welcomed, they were not comprehensive enough. 

He declared that the organised Labour would consult with members whom they represent to reach a consensus on the next course of action before the end of Tuesday.

The TUC President, while speaking on the outcome of the meeting, stated that the government’s proposed measures presented during the meeting were considered a starting point or baseline.

His words: “So we came here yesterday and we told Nigerians that we’ll be meeting today by 12 Noon. 

“So we came here much later. We had the conversation. Again, the government team told us that what the President has put on the table, it’s more or less like a starting point, and it’s a baseline”. 

According to him, the labour unions believed there were significant gaps and the proposed measures were not far-reaching enough. 

Osifo said the unions canvassed for further action saying 3,000 buses were inadequate, suggesting that 30,000 to 40,000 buses would be sufficient enough.

Commenting on the planned protests, the TUC boss said the government requested that it be shelved. 

Osifo said the unions responded by stating that they would have further discussions with their members and provide their response at the end of those discussions on Tuesday evening. 

On the issue of new minimum wage, the TUC President said the unions called for wage awards above the minimum wage, similar to what some states had announced. 

According to him, the unions were of the opinion that government should do more, considering their claim of saving one trillion Naira from fuel subsidy.

Saud he: “So we on our part also said yes that we would not be surprised if that is everything that will be put forward because for us, we said that there are some gaps. For us, we felt that the President has said that N1 trillion has been saved in the last two months that what has been proposed is no far reaching. And that for us, now as part of the principle of negotiation, when anything is put on the table, you’ll accept but you’ll push for more. So on our part, we’ve said that what have you put on the table is most sufficient, is not enough, and that they can do more. 

“Part of what we put forward was that, we’ll look at those things that Mr President highlighted and some of the things they have also mentioned.

“We think for example, that 3000 buses are not sufficient. By the time you divide 3000 by 37, you will see how many they would come up to. So it’s not sufficient, it’s grossly inadequate. Then we also think as well that some of the measures put on the table are not far reaching. 

“So we are also going to demand for what we think will do. So if we think 30,000, 40,000 buses could do it in the immediate, yes, we’ll push it forward. 

“So those were all the conversations that we have had.”

Commenting on government’s appeal on labour to shelve the protest, Osifo said: “Then on the government part,  yes they also appealed that we should shelve the protest. Our response was that we are going to go back this evening and also have a conversation around that and you will hear from us at the end of that conversation.”

On where they stand on minimum wage, Osifo said: “Yes, so it’s part of what we said, on our part, what we’re demanding was wage award. 

“For example, you have heard some states say they will be paying  N40,000 minimum. So it is more or less what they are giving. It is not the law but they are doing above the minimum wage. 

“So for us, we felt that the federal government could do on their own so much so above the minimum wage without much conversation. Because,  the Committee on the minimum wage has not been constituted.  We want to be very clear on that, that committee has not been constituted.

“But what we have been advocating for on the part of labour is wage award that doesn’t have much bureaucracy, that you won’t have much issues around the law.

“Because the law that prescribed minimum wage says every five years, until you amend that, no other thing can kick in.

“But we said for the immediate, let the federal government come with wage award just like some state governments have announced that they will be paying N40,000 or N50,000. So they should do something like that.

“We have also heard some states saying that they’re going to pay PMS allowance of XYZ amount. 

“So those are the wage awards that we were thinking and we are pushing government to do.”

Also speaking, the National Vice President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Titus Amba, corroborated the position of the TUC President, saying they were going to consult with other labour leaders. 

On his part, the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the organised labour as a listening organisation that would not go ahead with its planned protests after listening to President Bola Tinubu’s national broadcast to the nation.

He said: “Basically we laid out the plan and the intervention of the President as you all heard in his  broadcast yesterday. We made it clear that this was Mr President’s initial roll out interventions and then the conversations will be ongoing as we go along.

“We indeed appealed to Labour to call off their protests for tomorrow. We’ve found listening ears here and they all accepted that Mr. President’s broadcast was a welcome development and that they’ll go back home to talk to the other leaders. 

“So we’re hopeful that they will be do the right thing and not protest tomorrow.”

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

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