The Federal Government has kicked against plans by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to go on a two-day solidarity strike in support of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other university-based unions, saying it is unlawful.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this on Wednesday while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the week’s virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, however defused anxiety over the possibility of the workers’ union in the civil aviation sector joining the planned solidarity strike by NLC, saying he already held talks with the union.
According to Mohammed, the planned solidarity strike became unlawful because the NLC has no dispute with the federal government, pointing out that taking such step would be an attempt to instigate anarchy in the country.
The Minister observed that what the Congress is doing is about interest, noting that it should insulate itself completely from politics.
The NLC had announced that it would embark on a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 to press home the need to resolve the over five-month old strike especially by ASUU.
Reacting to the NLC threat, Mohammed said: “While we’re still on Labour, I think we should also start to interrogate what Labour is doing. The NLC is not a political party. The NLC can go on strike or protest, if the rights of NLC members are involved. What the NLC is planning in the next two days is about interest. There’s no dispute whatsoever between NLC, as a body, and the federal government.
“Yes, there’s dispute between some members of NLC, ASUU whatever, and the fedyeral Government, which is being looked into and NLC itself is even party to the committee that is looking into the solution. So, calling out people on street protest, you’ll begin to wonder, what is the motive of NLC in this matter?
“But you see here, we do not even interrogate what NLC is doing. NLC, by its own laws, cannot even give out pamphlets. NLC is supposed to be completely insulated from politics.
” Now, if you declare dispute with us, yes you can go on strike. Even that one would depend on whether certain steps have been taken or not. But this particular NLC asking and mobilizing people to come out on strike on July 26 and 27, is clearly unlawful because there’s no dispute.”
The Minister noted that the NLC, having been part of the negotiations with ASUU, along with the Federal Government, ought to have continued as part of finding solution, adding that the Congress is mixing issues up by not separating rights from interest.
“Then you are not getting my point. I said, every union has an umbrella body but it’s not every union that has issues with the federal government. That’s why I’ve made a distinction between rights and interest.
“You can only declare dispute if your rights as a group is violated. You cannot declare dispute simply because the rights of Lai Mohammad is violated. I mean, you cannot go on protest because my interest is violated because there’s a body that looks after my rights violation and there are procedures to follow.
“The Federal Government is as worried as NLC and everybody, but the law is the law. What I expect NLC to do as an umbrella body is to find solution, to join federal government in finding solution.
“They are part of the tripartite agreement that have been negotiating with federal government on this ASUU issue. So, why are they now going out to take sides? I think you should also interrogate it yourselves.
“I think it’s popular to get NLC out and support but ask yourselves, how does that solve the problem. What you are going to create is more anarchy and I think the NLC should think twice about their proposed strike in solidarity with ASUU.
” It’s as if Federal Government is doing nothing about ASUU. No. They have been involved in these negotiations all along, so why now?”
The Nation
