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- Federal Secretariat Remains Deserted
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
In a surprising turn of events, organised labour’s decision to call off its indefinite nationwide strike has sparked widespread backlash and disappointment among Nigerians.
The strike, which intended to protest against the increase in electricity tariff and failure to reach an agreement on a new minimum wage for workers in the country, had garnered significant support from the populace prior to its sudden cancellation.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), commenced the strike on Monday after many failed negotiations with FG but called it off on Tuesday morning.
On Monday night, the federal government met again with the labour leaders, where both parties reached a tentative agreement. NLC and TUC afterwards, held a joint meeting, where they both agreed to shelve the strike for the next one week to monitor the government’s commitment to its promises.
Despite the agreement, many Nigerians have expressed frustration, feeling that the Labour unions caved in too easily without securing concrete concessions from the government.
Social media platforms have been flooded with criticism, with many accusing the unions of betraying the interests of the working class.
Some have questioned the motives behind the abrupt cancellation, leading to speculations of backdoor negotiations and compromises with the government.
As a visible sign of the suspended strike, the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, which would have been the epicentre of the protest, remains deserted today. Typically bustling with activity, the complex now stands eerily quiet, serving as a stark reminder of the tensions that still simmer beneath the surface.
Taking to his X page, @Noblesaves wrote: “@NLCHeadquarters and @The_TUC have become irrelevant in Nigeria. Nigerians anticipated labour to stand firm until today’s end before they could garner mass support. As anticipated, they failed to exceed our expectations.”
@Kalsoon2u wrote:”NLC and TUC never looked serious with their action from the set…
I doubt if they get what they demanded ”
“NLC and TUC, be serious for once; many people depend on you. No one wants the country’s economy to be paralyzed by a strike, but sometimes action is necessary to compel the government to do the right thing. Stand your ground until everything is signed and implemented,” @Ayemojubo wrote.
@Kahnemanism also wrote: “The last time I was betrayed doing politics in Ibadan against Adedibu boys, I stopped anything with that game. I don’t avoid politics because it’s dangerous, but its level of betrayal is overwhelming. Kudos to NLC for playing the game, and for playing the public once again.”
On Instagram, capry_sunn 3h said: “Kept the whole country in darkness to later settle for less? abeg”
Although others like @josmine061, thinks labour did the right thing by calling off the strike.
He said: “It is the right thing to do, my leader.
The @NLCHeadquarters they were open for negotiation and the FG has agreed to negotiate a price above their previous 60k. So the minimum wage now will definitely be between 60k to 494k.”
