Group urges NLC to ‘stop distracting FG’ with strikes

A group, the Patriotism Awareness Forum (PAF), has charged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other workers’ unions to rethink their incessant resort to threats of strike and show understanding in allowing the Federal Government put in place an enduring and beneficial solution to the effects of the removal of petroleum subsidy.

The group in a statement jointly signed by its Convener, Nelson Ekujumi and Co-Convener, Peter Claver Oparah, PAF said that it is disturbed by the actions of the NLC and other affiliate unions who have made strike and threats of strike an option towards dealing with a policy that addressed the “death sentence which fuel subsidy held to the nation’s economy and it’s people”.

The PAF said that the Tinubu administration does not need the distraction and instability which the reoccurring strikes and threats of strike by NLC and its affiliate workers groups have unleashed since the removal of fuel subsidy.

The group also urged Nigerians to put aside their political, ethnic and religious differences and other primordial sentiments to see the unfolding big picture by allowing the government to find enduring solutions to the fallouts of the subsidy removal and the retooling of the nation’s economy.

“While we recognize the inalienable rights of the organized labour to embark on any legitimate course of action in demanding for it’s right, we must admonish that embarking on a strike action at this point in time, will result in incalculable economic damage to the Nigerian people and the state in contravention of the ideals of labour which is about the welfare and prosperity of workers and the people.

“Furthermore, it is discerningly obvious that NLC calling out workers on strike and issuing threats of strike as an option to showing their disapproval with government’s response to the effects of fuel subsidy removal at this point in time when Nigerians are going through severe economic stress and pain, will be counter productive and damaging in all ramifications.

“We all are agreed that the alternative to continuing the erstwhile fuel subsidy regime would have been the bankrupting of the nation’s economy, which would have permanently imperiled Nigerians, including workers and the country. Equally, there is no doubt that the removal of fuel subsidy has temporary negative effects on the population, but the government and other patriotic interests must be charged and monitored to come up with workable ideas and solutions within a reasonable time frame to solve these problems in the short and long term for a peaceful and prosperous society.

“We are worried and frightened by incessant strikes and threats of strikes as a solution to addressing these fundamental issues because of its adverse effect to the economy and the wellbeing of the mass of the people in the informal sector who constitute the majority of over 80% of the working population in Nigeria according to the World Bank”. How shortsighted an option that could be! While we acknowledge the sacrifice, endurance and understanding showed by Nigerians with government towards permanently resolving fuel subsidy removal aftermath and retooling of the economy for the collective good of all, we urge the NLC and other labour centers to toe the same line.

“PAF call on the government to expedite actions in retooling the economy in the aftermath of the fuel subsidy removal, just as we are appealing to the NLC to show understanding and save the country from the trauma of their unending resort to strike and threats of strike.

“We rather charge them to join hands with the government and all other relevant positive interests to deal patriotically with our economic challenges as it is done in other nations to build a strong and viable economy that will be beneficial to every Nigerian,” the statement read.