NLC Threatens Nationwide Strike August 14 over Lawsuit by FG

The Nigeria Labour Congress, Thursday, said it would commence a nationwide strike on August 14, 2023, should the Federal Ministry of Justice fail to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the organized labour.

The NLC made the decision during its National Executive Council meeting which was held in Abuja.

According to a statement signed by the national president, Joe Ajaero, the Ministry of Justice and National Industrial Court have continued to allow themselves to be used as agents of “anti-democracy.”

The Council noted that though it agreed to suspend protests based on its meeting with the President, it will embark on a nationwide strike starting from August 14, 2023, should the government fail to withdraw the lawsuit filed against it.

Highlighting the decisions of the NEC, Ajaero said the NEC resolved “to support and affirm the decision to suspend further protest on the nationwide mass protest; to commit to maintaining the required vigilance needed to hold government accountable on its assurances and governance in general; To commit to the terminal date of August 19, 2023, within which the issues around the Petroleum price hike will be agreed given the assurances of the President and the National Assembly.

“To go on total strike across the country any day labour leaders are summoned to court by the government through the NICN. To demand the immediate withdrawal of this litigious terrorism by the Federal Ministry of Justice before the end of work Friday, the 11th of August, 2023.

“To embark on a nationwide comprehensive strike beginning Monday, 14th of August, 2023 if this contemptuous court summons is not withdrawn by whosoever initiated it.”

In a related development, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa says the court order and suit filed by the federal government against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) does not have the capacity to curb the hunger and pains in the country.

“In fairness to the Federal Government, you cannot go to court in a matter like this. If we were to advise the Federal Government as lawyers because you cannot get a court order to restrain hunger, you cannot get a court order to restrain suffering,” Adegboruwa said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.

The SAN, however, stated that from the explanations given by labour, the protest was held in the exercise of their fundamental right under section 39 of the constitution and it should not be mistaken as a strike.

The human rights activist speaking further noted that some of them in labour, in civil society organizations were not part of the case.

“The Federal Government did not sue the civil society organizations, the committee for the defence of human rights, or the organizations that were represented. We were not part of the suit and you see that we were part of the protest yesterday.

“So, I don’t think that there is any contempt in fairness. I do not support that any party should violate the order of a court but, in this particular case, there is a distinction in the sense that the strike is not what has been declared,” he said.

Adegboruwa added “Everything we are doing in this country is based on what all of us are experiencing. I buy fuel, I run a generator – so, there is no way you can pretend that these things are unreal.

“The option is to address them because a court is a technical place where you just make judgements, you give judgements, you make orders.

“It will not address my stomach, the salary of workers, the suffering of the masses of our people, the great collapses, and the darkness the government has imposed on us. So, I think the reality is for the government to engage them,” he said.

However, the human rights activists commended the President for his listening ears and engagement with organised labour to douse the tension.

He stressed that it should go beyond engagement and returns.