The Trade Union Congress has backed out of the planned two-day nationwide protest declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress over the high cost of living, inflation, insecurity, and hardship in the country.
The Vice-President of the TUC, Tommy Etim, told The PUNCH on Wednesday that the decision to protest on February 27 and 28 as announced by the NLC was not taken collectively by both unions.
The TUC in a letter dated February 19, 2024, written by its Secretary General, Dr Nuhu Toro, said the NLC unilaterally took the decision on the planned protest.
Etim in the interview with one of our correspondents, confirmed the letter addressed to the NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, adding that “by the virtue of the letter, there is no way we can join the protest.”
This is happening as the Department of State Services warned organised Labour against the planned mass action, saying it could be hijacked.
The NLC had on February 16 declared a two-day protest which would begin after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum it issued to the Federal Government which will expire on February 22 (today).
The warning was on account of the alleged failure of the government to implement the agreements reached on October 2, following the removal of the fuel subsidy and other economic reforms which had triggered higher transportation costs, inflation, and general hardship.
The situation had provoked protests across the country with youths, and women taking to the streets over the food inflation and higher cost of living.
The NLC and TUC earlier on February 8 gave a two-week ultimatum to the government to meet demands ranging from wage increments to improved access to public utilities and accused it of failing to uphold pledges to soften the impact of reforms.
Briefing journalists in Abuja after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on the state of the economy and matters related to insecurity in the country, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, also accused the Federal Government of failing to implement the agreement reached in October.
On Monday, the Head of Information of the NLC, Benson Upah, said the NLC affiliates were being mobilised for the protest just as state chapters of the congress vowed to join the nationwide demonstration.
The PUNCH had on Tuesday reported that one of the NLC affiliates, National Union of Public Service Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processors, and Allied Workers Union, in a letter dated February 18, 2024, written by its Secretary General, Duro Adebisi, directed its members to join the NLC planned protest.
But in a new twist, another Labour centre, the TUC, in the letter written by its Secretary General, Toro, faulted the process adopted by the NLC in fixing the dates for the protests.
But in a new twist, another Labour centre, the TUC, in the letter written by its Secretary General, Toro, faulted the process adopted by the NLC in fixing the dates for the protests.
Confirming the latest position of the TUC, the Vice-President, Etim, noted, “We cannot join the protest because the decision was not taken collectively. It is very clear that by virtue of the letter, there is no way we can join the protest.”
In the letter obtained by this newspaper on Wednesday, Toro recalled that the decision to issue a two-week ultimatum to the government was jointly taken by the NLC and TUC.
He noted that the right thing after the expiration of the warning on Thursday (today) was for the leaders of the two unions to review the situation and agree on the way forward prior to convening their respective national executive councils’ meetings.
