We Need To Re-Build a Socialist Alternative

The price of petrol has increased nearly as much in the last year as during the whole period of Obasanjo’s eight year presidency. Now we also face a tripling of the cost of electricity and job losses from the implementation of the Oronsaye Report. And yet the trade unions continue to take little action. They still generally quickly suspend strikes or protests after a day of so. We need a change of strategy! We are hungry!! We need the trade union leaders to respond properly to these major attacks on the common people.

As a reminder, our experience over the last year or so is the following:

• 29 March 2023 – threatened general strike by public sector workers and picketing of CBN over cash shortages suspended.  Meeting between Minister of Labour, CBN and NLC on 27th March.

• 6 June 2023 strike – NLC and TUC strike due on 6th June suspended by NEC meeting after long meeting with the government.

• 1 August 2023 – rallies held in all state capitals. NLC met with Tinubu

2 August 2023 – Rally in Abuja. Seven day strike suspended after talks with the government.

• 5/6^th September 2023 – two day warning strike called and held.

The major demand was that the Government should take steps “to address the excruciating mass suffering and impoverishment being experienced around the country.” The leadership of the NLC met with officials of the Ministry of Labour on 18th September.

• 2 October 2023 – indefinite general strike by NLC and TUC suspended hours before it was due to start after meetings with the Government. Promised N35k to Federal workers until minimum wage increase implemented (this has still not been fully delivered).

• 15th November 2023 – indefinite general strike by NLC and TUC suspended after two days. Federal Government through National Security Advisor apologies for the attack on the NLC President, Joe Ajaero.

• 26/27 February 2024 – two days of protests in all state capitals called by NLC. Called off on the evening of the first day as “objectives achieved” or threat of violence by the state. Government given two weeks to implement all agreed actions.  But we are still waiting.

As a result, the workers and their families have faced the worst attack on their living standards for a generation and now we have the tripling of the price of electricity! In contrast, the trade unions in Chad organised a month long general strike after the vicious military dictatorship increased the price of petrol by 40% in early February, 2024. More details are available from our website:  https://tinyurl.com/Chadstrike2024

The general strikes during Obasanjo’s time were:

•          2000, June – five day general strike reduces 50% fuel price increase to 10%

•          2002, January – labour leaders end a two-day general strike after they were arrested

•          2003, June/July – eight days, the longest general strike since 1964 against an increase in fuel prices, called off just before the US President visited the country

•          2004, June – three-day general strike against rising oil prices

•          2004, October – four day ‘warning strike’ over fuel price increases

•          2007, June – four-day strike wins most of its demands. Stops a 15 percent fuel price increase and a doubling of the VAT rate to 10 percent. Stops, as well, the privatization of two oil refineries and wins a 15 percent pay increase for civil servants.

The reason for the suspension of strikes and street protests by the trade union leaders is political. The dominant view of most trade union leaders is social partnership unionism.  They think that developing the Nigerian economy in co-operation with the government is the way to reduce poverty.

According to the World Bank, average income per person in Nigeria grew to be over four and a half times larger from 1998 to 2022. But despite this massive economic growth the majority of the population are now much poorer than they were 25 years ago.

Tinubu is not working for the ‘nation’ . He is working for the corrupt rich elite.  His policies of deregulation of the petrol and foreign exchange markets, introduction of student loans, increasing the cost of electricity and implementation of the Oronsaye report are just what the IMF/World Bank have been arguing for years.

Wherever this type of reforms have been implemented across the world, poverty and inequality have massively increased. The Nigerian stock market recorded unprecedented gains in the first half of June, Tinubu’s first month in power, more than in any month in the last 15 years.  It has sustained record levels since earlier this year having doubled in value since Tinubu became President. The corrupt rich elites are the only ones benefiting from Tinubu’s policies.

The bench mark oil price for 2024 is only $75 and the current price is around $90 a barrel. In the first three months of this year the average FAAC income to states and the Federal governments was almost 30% more than the average for last year and they could have distributed much more.  All states have plenty of money, but many still have salary and pension arrears. 

The poor majority are suffering more than ever – the rich are laughing all the way to the bank. This is just looting on a massive scale. We have to rebuild a socialist alternative that is organised around a more effective trade union strategy, based on unity, solidarity and rank and file democratic participation in decision making. We can all argue for this type of strategy and, where possible, become more active in our trade union branches.

A two page extract of our May Day Socialist Labour newspaper is available for free download from here: https://socialistlabour.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Socialist-Labour-May-2024-2-pages-1.pdf