by Uche Okafor
Comrade Ajaero’s (new NLC – Nigeria Labour Congress, President) approach to labour agitation may not yield the needed result. Without solidarity across the trade union movement, we may not get the result we want. Let us pursue solidarity with all the energy and resources we have.
If there is anything that we have learnt from the recent history of the labour movement, it is the fact that without solidarity, we cannot win. Amongst other factors, it is the lack of solidarity between ASUU and other sister unions in the tertiary education sector that impacted on their struggle negatively and meant that their strikes last year did not win. It is also the lack of reasonable solidarity for ASUU from the NLC/TUC and its affiliates that affected the result of the struggle.
This lack of solidarity is also seen in the health sector between NMA (association of physicians) and JOHESU (other health professionals and health workers) which is making the Government to win and enable them to grossly underfund the sector.
It may be that this lack of solidarity between the NLC and TUC affected the outcome of El-Rufai vs NLC issue in the 2021 Kaduna struggle. It may also be this same issue that caused the NLC proposed protest in Rivers State in 2022 not even take off.
The last time I can remember strong solidarity between NLC and TUC was in 2016 between Comrades Ayuba and Kaigama when the then Governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, proposed to sack some Imo workers. Even though the protests didn’t get the desired result of getting the workers paid 100% of their salary, but it helped to reinstate the sacked workers.
Com Ajaero proceeded with strike action in Abia State. This is highly commendable, he is starting well, but is he starting right? I think, despite the cold war that existed between Com Ayuba (NLC) and Com Quadri (TUC) on the Kaduna struggle, we expect Com Ajaero and Com Osifo to come together if they want to win.
The entire Abia workers of NLC and TUC are being owed salaries by the State Government. Calling out the NLC affiliates to embark on strike while TUC affiliates were going to work, may have prevented a clearer victory.
I know that the causes of lack of solidarity between the NLC and TUC may be complex and may not be the fault of either NLC or TUC alone. But for the interest of the Nigerian workers, there is an urgent need for Comrades Ajaero and Osifo to overcome this challenge. Real working class solidarity should not depend on the two union leaders alone. Real solidarity can be achieved when members of both unions realise that their interests are the same and they put pressure on their leaders to act.
