A group under the aegis of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, CDWR, has urged the Organised Labour to quickly mobilise and declare a nationwide strike over the minimum wage and the recent hike in electricity tariff.
This is contained in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah.
The group recalled that organized labour had been at loggerheads with the government and private sector over a new minimum wage, and negotiation had been deadlocked for over three weeks and still counting.
It stressed that the Government and Private Sector insistence on paying N60,000 provoked the declaration of an indefinite strike which started on June 3rd 2024 but was suspended on the 4th of June, 2024.
The group urged the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, to declare and mobilise widely for a 48-hour general strike and mass protest to ask for the reversal of all anti-poor policies and a minimum wage of not less than N200, 000.
It argued that “The mass protest of mostly young people has just forced the Ruto-led government in Kenya to withdraw the IMF/World Bank-inspired tax increment policy. This example shows that it is also possible for Nigerian working people and youth to force the Tinubu-led government to reverse the prices of petroleum products, electricity tariffs, fee hikes in public schools, and all other neo-liberal capitalist policies, policies which would give some immediate respite to most Nigerians.
“CDWR calls on the leadership of NLC and TUC, as the next step in the minimum wage struggle, to declare and this time mobilise widely for a 48-hour general strike and mass protest to demand a minimum wage not less than N200,000 and the reversal of all anti-poor policies (privatization, deregulation, subsidy removal, electricity tariff hike etc).
However, given the recent failures of the NLC and TUC to seriously mobilise trade unionists and activists must themselves take steps to organise a campaign at the grassroots level to both build support for the struggle and for the trade unions to have leaders who take their responsibilities seriously.
“Amongst the immediate demands should be the call for the inclusion of a demand that the minimum wage must be automatically adjusted in line with the rate of inflation and the rising cost of living, minimum wage need not wait for four or five years before adjustment.”
The group added that the declaration of the strike may forestall needless long negotiations and ensure wages do not fall behind the inflationary rate and poverty line.
“We should add that it will require a serious struggle to force the capitalist elite to agree to this and actually implement it as they will try to take back any concessions they have been forced to make,” it added.
