Some Nigerians have kicked against the Labour Unions to embark on nationwide strike on Tuesday 14th November over the assault on the National Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero, last week in Imo State.
According to report, there had been widespread outrage by the Organised Labour accusing the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mohammed Barde, of complicity in the recent attack on Ajaero, in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
The Organised Labour last Friday handed the Federal Government a five-day ultimatum to replace the police commissioner, while also blaming Governor Hope Uzodimma who is seeking re-election of the attack on Ajaero though the governor had since said he had no hand in the attack on the labour leader.
The Organised Labour also demanded that the arrest and prosecution of some of the governor’s aide while threatened to embark on a nationwide industrial action if their demands were not carried out.
Reacting to this development, Dr Charles Omole on X @DrCOmole called to reform the labour laws as a matter of urgency, saying the labour unions does not understand their roles anymore but have become political activists and loony leftists.
“How do you justify a National Strike based on assault on one person in one state based on local political situation. Why would workers in 35 states, FCT become victims of what happened in one state”, Dr Omole asked.
He said the key elements on reform should include the following: There should be a democratic threshold from labour members mandating action before any strike is allowed.
2. Strikes should be restricted only to the union in dispute. The idea of solidarity strike MUST be abolished. Why should a union embark on strike simply to support another union; when itself have no dispute in its sector.
3. Notice of a legal strike should be extended to at least a month. In some countries; labour strikes are announced months in advance. 4. No work no pay must be rigorously enforced.
5. The strike action of a union should only be binding of its members. Workers should retain the legal right not to join a union. As such; non-members should be free to work on strike days.
6. Violent and disruptive Picketing must be made unlawful. While standing with placards by office gate is ok; union members must not be allowed to obstruct or prevent others from entering the premises on strike days.
“My right to work must not be obstructed by your right to strike. It is very common to see labour activists going from office to office chasing out workers in the name of enforcement of strike”.
7. There should be automatic jail sentence for labour leaders who do not call off a strike after valid court orders barring the strike”, Dr Omole listed.
He noted that few of these provisions already exist in Nigerian laws but a robust enforcement is required. “Labour unions have become fiefdoms for radical activists who see themselves as an alternative to democratic government.
“In law; there is a settled doctrine of proportionality. That is why there is no death penalty for stealing a bicycle as that will be disproportionate. To throw an entire country into chaos; disrupt millions of lives because of an assault on one man is disproportionate.
“Enough is enough of these largely self serving disruption by tin-god labour leaders. Where were the unions when CBN threw the nation into chaos and misery early this year? For unions that represent at most 20% of our total labour force to hold the entire nation to ransom is unreasonable and unacceptable”, Dr Omole concluded.
Former Senator, Ben Murray-Bruce on X while reacting to this development said a national strike over a local issue in Imo is not what Nigeria needs right now.
He said Nigeria reforms are working, adding that the naira is responding to such reforms. “Multiple banks have declared record profits. The manufacturing sector has begun to adjust, meaning that jobs will be created.
Ben Murray-Bruce emphasized that to rock the boat now is not in the national interest. “Let us think beyond ourselves and our allies. Nigeria must not go down because of what went down in Imo”, the former Senator said.