The InfoStride Forum

ORGANISED Labour in Nigeria yesterday took their grievances against the reforms initiated by the Federal Government in two critical sectors - power and energy (downstream arm of the oil industry) - to the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

The rally was also to make the Senate act on its findings during the just-concluded probe of the privatisation of public enterprises carried out by the Federal Government during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Labour warned that it would resist the government's resolve to hike electricity tariffs and fuel prices soon.

The workers also hinted of their plans to conduct an alternative constitution review forum and probe the "scandalous" privatisation exercise.

And as the zonal and local chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday directed their members to embark on a strike from Monday next week, the government yesterday met with the national leadership of the group in Abuja. The meeting was to find ways to avert the one-week warning strike.

The government's team to the talks was led by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu and Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'i while ASUU National President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, headed the dons' group.

Before yesterday's rally, Labour had indicated its willingness to embark on a strike whenever the pump price of petrol is deregulated. The planned hike in electricity tariffs from January 2012 will equally draw the ire of the workers, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Abdulwaheed Omar, has said.

Omar, who stressed the need to instill transparency into the privatisation process, said NLC had concluded plans to conduct its own investigation into the exercise with a view to determining "who got what and under what circumstances."

Entry into and out of the National Assembly in Abuja yesterday was difficult when the NLC took its protest march over sundry government policies to the area. The angry workers distributed fliers titled "Save Our Nation."

The matter was compounded when the protesters were denied entry into the premises at the first gate by securitymen attached to the National Assembly, who barricaded the entrance. Consequently, all human and vehicular movements to and from the complex were halted.

The Labour leaders said they were protesting another planned increase in electricity tariffs, the shady privatisation policy of the government as revealed by the recent Senate probe and "attempts to emasculate Nigerians" among other issues.

The unionists were led by Omar and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Peter Esele, and other civil society members. They were accused of embarking on the visit without prior notice and the Legislature's leaders were weary of the security implication of their action.

They were however addressed later at the second gate before the protesters dispersed.

The Sergeant-at-Arms to the National Assembly, Col. Emeka Okere (rtd), had insisted that in view of the security situation in the country, a crowd, which the Labour could not vouch for, would not be allowed into the premises.

Okere was also angry that despite all the explanations, they were allowed entry up to the second gate where Senator Oluremi Tinubu stood in for the Senate President, David Mark. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, was also on hand to receive the workers' message as well as address them.

They chanted solidarity songs and carried placards with inscriptions such as  "privatisation is anti-poor; privatisation of public property will create mass unemployment, increase in fuel prices; stop robbing the poor to pay the rich; you must withdraw from privatisation council; government must pay N18,000." And "politicians earn jumbo pay, workers get poor pay."

Omar told the lawmakers that "we are on solidarity with the work of the Senate Committee on the probe on privatisation of parastatals. We believe you are doing a good job and we believe we need to encourage you and tell you that Nigerian masses are watching you. So, do not handle the outcome like other committees in the past.

"We already have a tradition that when we have grievances or come for solidarity we do it at that square. And the leadership will be there to listen to us and we present our speeches."

Tinubu advised the protesters to consider the security situation in the country, saying "there is no way we can allow everyone inside. If it is only your leadership, we can allow that so that you can meet with the Senate President."

A similar appeal was made by the Deputy Speaker, which was turned down. He walked away when the Labour leaders refused to be addressed at the second gate.

Later, Ihedioha and Senator Abdul Ningi came back to address the crowd amidst shouting. They assured the Labour leaders that the Legislature would engage them in due course to address the issues raised.

While Ihedioha said Labour leaders would be engaged on the matter in the next few weeks, Ningi assured them that the report of the Senate probe into the sale of government property would not be dumped in the rubbish can.

Omar had disclosed that the Congress would convoke its own version of constitutional review to prioritise the welfare of the working class.

The protest lasted for three hours.

Omar, who reeled out Labour's steps to ensure Nigerians are not subjected to more hardship by the government's policies, explained that most of the authorities' programmes have been proven to be unbeneficial to ordinary Nigerians.

He said: "The NLC will conduct its own investigation into the privatisation racket and comprehensively inform the Nigerian people of the scheme. Another plot against the Nigerian people by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration is the plan by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to increase electricity tariffs by between 50 and 100 per cent.

"It is inconceivable that the tariff of a sector that generally delivers darkness to the populace is to be so increased. The NLC is making it known to the government that it will not allow Nigerians to be swindled into paying more for poor and services not rendered in the first place. If the government goes ahead with this scam plotted by its International Monetary Fund (IMF)-inspired whiz kids and jobbers, the Congress will lead Nigerians in mass strikes and protests until price increases are reversed," he threatened.

The gains of the new minimum wage to Nigerian workers, Omar lamented were being eroded by some state governors, who have attached their ability to pay to the removal of subsidy on petrol.

He argued that the signing of the minimum wage by the President and its subsequent implementation was not tied to any condition and warned that any attempt by any governor to use fuel subsidy as a ploy not to implement the law will be inviting chaos.

Again, Omar said: "It may sound outlandish, but despite the serious challenges we are facing in the country from grinding poverty and mass unemployment to serious insecurity, some of the state governments are tying the implementation of the minimum wage to increase in the price of petrol. This move is deceptive as implementation of the National Minimum Wage was signed into law without conditions. Therefore, any attempt to link the so-called removal of fuel subsidy to minimum wage will be resisted by Nigerian workers."

Labour also raised alarm over what it termed "attempt to emasculate the Nigerian people" through constitutional amendments.

Omar argued that instead of carrying out surgical operation on the decreed constitution imposed on the people by the military and turn it into people's constitution, attempts are being made to review it with a view to emasculating the populace.

The NLC chief alleged that subterranean moves are underway to move minimum wage payable to Nigerian workers from exclusive list to concurrent list, which will now empower state governments to pay whatever they deem fit.

His argument: "In line with the proclivity of the political class to pay starvation wages, the new plan is to remove the minimum wage payable to the Nigerian workers as well as Labour from the exclusive list to the concurrent one under which state governors can choose not to pay minimum wage to state public servants. This shall be resisted. The Labour movement will champion its own parallel constitution review in which the basic needs of the people and their fundamental human rights will be enshrined."

The issues in contention in the ASUU-government pact of 2009 are funding; progressive increase of yearly budgetary allocation to education to 26 per cent between 2009 and 2020; transfer of the Federal Government's landed property to universities; setting up of Research and Development Unit by companies operating in Nigeria and teaching and research equipment; payment of earned allowances; and amendment of the pension/retirement age of academics on the professorial cadre from 65 to 70 years.

After yesterday's deliberations, it was agreed that the existing Federal Government-ASUU Agreement 2009 Implementation Monitoring Committee should co-opt the Federal Ministries of Finance, Labour and Productivity, and Budget Office.

It was also agreed that the committee should develop strategies and timelines to facilitate the implementation of the agreement and that the committee shall conclude discussions on the implementation of the pact for presentation by November 22, 2011.

A statement by an Assistant Director (Press), Samuel Olowookere made available to The Guardian yesterday said, ASUU is therefore expected to take urgent steps to review its position on the impending strike.

Already, leaders of the Owerri and Bauchi zones of ASUU have directed their members to embark on a week strike from Monday.

It was not clear yesterday whether the teachers would still go ahead with the action.

The Guardian