Labour shuns court order as strike begins today

Despite the order yesterday of the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja stopping‎ the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) from embarking on the planned strike over the increase in fuel price, the labour unions have insisted on going ahead with the action beginning today.

The Federal Government last week increased the price of fuel from N86.50 to N145 per litre. Consequently, organised labour unions threatened to commence a nationwide strike from today unless the situation is reversed.

Efforts at a resolution of the crisis between the leadership of the NLC and the government , including a special ad hoc committee set up by the House of Representatives to avert the strike ended in a deadlock.

There were indications that the insistence of government on selling petrol at N145 per litre and taking labour unions before the NIC may have hardened Labour’s resolve to go ahead with the strike.

Indeed, as the NLC was holding its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Labour House, around 2:00p.m. yesterday, information filtered in that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had approached the court to declare the strike illegal.

This jolted the members of the NEC who expressed dismay at the turn of events and resolved to proceed on the industrial action.

Not only did they move a motion stopping the President of Congress, Ayuba Wabba and his team from attending a scheduled meeting with the House of Representatives, but suggested that Labour should also boycott a meeting slated with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Lawal, which was scheduled to hold at 3:00p.m.

Indeed, the NEC meeting of the NLC ended around 5:00p.m. and they headed for the House of Representatives meeting after which they planned to attend the one with the SGF and his team.