JOINT ACTION FRONT (JAF) ON SUSPENDED NLC STRIKE

JUNE 10th 2023

JAF’s Position on the Suspension of Planned Strike by the NLC
Struggle against Criminal Hike in Petrol Price, other Anti-Poor Capitalist Policies and Economic Hardship Must Continue by the Working People and Youth!

1. The Joint Action Front (JAF) receives with disappointment the suspension of the strike that was scheduled to commence on Wednesday, July 7 by the Nigeria Labour Congress against the criminal hike in petrol price under the guise of fuel subsidy removal. We feel strongly that the NLC should have gone ahead with the action in compliance with the resolution of its NEC of June 2 as the government had not met the demand for the reversal to petrol prices, which was rightly made as the condition precedent for any further negotiation
2. At the moment, millions of workers and poor Nigerians are finding it hard to go out daily to earn their living. Society is in a state of semi-paralysis and the worsening socio-economic situations have forced governments in Kwara and Edo States to direct their workers to only come to work thrice in a week. In other states, workers are trekking to work. This is aside many others, who depend on generators to carry out their socio-economic activities at work and domestic activities at home, in order to endure darkness because they cannot afford the new petrol price! This deplorable state of hardship cannot continue for long before a social explosion, would inevitably occurs! Unfortunately, the trade unions leadership’s capitulatory approach of negotiating for palliatives, which even, if granted, will not cushion the effect of the subsidy removal for the majority of the population! The tradition of the Labour movement is to stand firm in a principled struggle, by insisting not only on the reversal of the hike in the petrol price and but to advance the demand for public ownership of the oil and gas sector under workers’ control and democratic management!
4. In view of this, JAF hereby calls on Nigerian workers, youth and the poor not to be demoralized by the highly condemnable surrender to the Government’s intimidation of black market court injunction, without any iota of commitment to fight in defence of the working people and poor! Even, the new Government and its hurriedly packaged negotiators of ex-trade union bureaucrats in admixture with NNPC and private individuals on the Government’s team, were alarmed to have an easy ride to victory! The Government’s had a price on which to negotiate, as a fall back position, but nothing the leadership of the trade unions could have negotiated in the absence of adequate organising, en-mass mobilisation and materials readiness to inspire the workers and the population, other than to surrender to the regime and its IMF-World Bank deceptive imposition!
5. We consider it even more worrisome the reason given in the communique of the NEC of the NLC of June 6 for the suspension which was the need to obey the black-market injunction procured by the government in the name of a so-called rule of law. We are of the opinion that this decision has set a bad precedent that will be exploited by the government whenever workers embark on a strike forced on them by the refusal of the same government to fulfil its own obligation or meet the legitimate demands of workers. We already saw this with the last strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities. We hold that even on the basis of the principle of reciprocity given the blatant breach of the 2023 Appropriation Act, which makes the provision for petrol subsidy up till the end of June, by Bola Tinubu’s government, the NLC had a solid ground to disregard the injunction procured by the same government. The same bourgeois rule of law has a maxim that says one who comes into equity must come with clean hands. So, as against the suggestion in the communique of the June 5 NLC’s NEC, going ahead with an action aimed at defending the interest and living conditions of the vast majority of Nigerians does not amount to encouraging lawlessness.
6. Therefore, we support the NLC for registering “in strongest terms its disgust and disapproval with the ruling of the National Industrial Court (NIC) for its continuous weaponization of the instrument of Exparte injunction in favour of Government against the interest of Nigerian workers”.
7. But we would like the Labour leadership to realise that court and law are primarily instruments of repression of interests of working class and the poor by the state. So, the Labour leadership has a responsibility to ensure that any law or court order that attacks the livelihood and conditions of the vast majority is ignored at all times and mobilise for its defeat with a mass action by the working people.
8. We note that from the agreement signed with the government on Monday June 5, and the NLC’s NEC Communique of June 6, both the NLC and TUC have dropped the demand for the reversal of the obnoxious hike of petrol price. We condemn this decision which is logically not unconnected to the capitulation of the organized Labour to the neo-liberal policy of deregulation as shown by the agreement signed with the government following the botched strike of September 2020. We strongly hold that this is wrong and will continue to engage Labour leadership over it as well as the entire neo-liberal economic agenda, which is antithetical to the interest of workers, and also agitate within the trade union movement for the return to the tradition of opposition to anti-poor capitalist policies. We also call on workers to challenge this retreat of their leadership on the question of fuel price hike by raising their voice of opposition within their trade unions. If a mass opposition develops within the rank and file of the trade unions against the action of the leaders, they can be forced to abandon their current barren approach for one that seriously fights to defend members’ interests.
9. However, we identify with some of the demands put forward by the Organised Labour in their ongoing negotiations with the government. These include revival of the state-owned refineries and N200,000 minimum wage. But it should be realized that without a mass struggle, a demand such as a decent minimum wage will not be met or implemented. This a lesson from the current minimum wage which has not been implemented by many states despite having come into effect since 2019.
10. By and large, despite our objection to the latest decision of the leadership of the Organised Labour over the criminal hike in petrol price, we are prepared as usual to continue to join the NLC and TUC as well as individual industrial unions over any agitation and demands in the defence of interests and conditions of workers.
11. Also importantly, we of the JAF are prepared, independently or with other groups, to continue the mobilization and sensitization of working people, youth and the poor masses in general for resistance not only against the petrol price hike but also other anti-poor policies such as the hike in fees at public universities and devaluation of naira which Tinubu government has planned to unleash. Therefore, we call on artisans, traders, community people and youth to organize and resist any attack on their interest, living conditions and means of livelihood.
12. We in the JAF and other organisations of the people should be prepared to provide leadership should the mass of Nigerians decide they want to take their destinies in their own hands. To this effect, mass meetings need to be held and democratic committees of struggles need to be set up at all workplaces, communities and campuses. And such a series of activities should be linked up across cities and states in order to provide a powerful lever for the struggle against this criminal policy of fuel imposition. Through consistent but determined mass protests and demonstrations across the length and breadth of the country, we can compel the regime to reverse this criminal policy.
    12. Most importantly, we reiterate our consistent call on workers, artisans, traders and youth to join us in the struggle for a System Change which means an END to the unjust system of capitalism and its failed policies of Privatisation, Deregulation, etc, and its reign of looting and exploitation by the corrupt capitalist ruling cabals in order to bring forth a new political and economic order under a just system (socialism). It is only a just SYSTEM that can ensure that the wealth of the country is judiciously used to benefit the majority working population (formal and informal sectors) and the oppressed poor.
13. 
    Be prepared & join others to organise for mass action
14. dare to struggle, dare to win!

DR. DIPO FASHINA Comrade ABIODUN AREMU
JAF Chairperson JAF Secretary