NLC strike misplaced – Oshiomhole

Adams Oshiomhole, a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress, has criticized the strike action being implemented by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, arguing that the focus should have been on the state governments that are not yet paying the national minimum wage of N30,000.

While congratulating Vice President Kashim Shettima on the party’s victories in Kogi and Imo states at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Oshiomhole implied that the walkout by the Joe Ajaero-led leadership was misguided.

He noted that as union leaders, nothing precludes them from harboring political beliefs but must draw the line when such opinions appear to be hampering their primary tasks.

Sen. Adams Oshiomhole of the 10th National Assembly called “arm-chair critics” those who predicted the collapse of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State.

Oshiomhole’s responses followed a statewide industrial action by organized labor, which has temporarily paralyzed social and economic operations.

The senator stated, “As a worker in the Senate, I don’t pretend over the fact that my primary constituency, my permanent constituency, is labor. I was already ousted as chairman of APC, thus it’s possible to do so again. As a laborer, however, I was ineligible for dismissal. My thoughts, beliefs, and aspirations are all still those of a laborer.

“I anticipate that even as we speak today, we have states that are not paying N30,000. This problem would appeal to me. And there is no organized effort to cause a walkout in those states.

The federal government provided a raise of N35,000. In theory, the talks were meant to represent the interests of all Nigerian government employees, not just those working for the federal government.

on behalf of all workers in Nigeria, including those employed by local governments and state governments.

When the federal government reduces or eliminates a subsidy, the state and local governments benefit. Now, I wish someone at the NLC would have realized that federal workers’ hunger isn’t any worse than that of state workers’ or local government workers’.

In the event that these concerns are raised, I will publicly back action against any government that believes we should lament our hunger while the people do what they do, even if I am a senator. Unfortunately, those are not the motivations behind the current strike. Because there are so many problems that workers face, I believe that addressing those problems should take precedence above whatever political beliefs that we may have.