…Urges opposition parties to support NLC
With the deadlock of talks between Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Dr. Sam Amadi, an analyst and a former chairman Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has told NLC, in the interest of the economy to foreclose mobilising for strike on Thursday, but rather consider other options like rallies, protests and discussions.
Amadi, a lawyer also faulted the government which he described as not always ready to listen but rather would choose to exaggerate their power
The lawyer who spoke on Arise TV on Tuesday also charged the opposition political parties to get involved in labour issues by calling on the government to listen to labour unions when they speak.
He said, “The labour unions should use protests, rallies, and talks to address these issues. It shouldn’t be only when there is brute force that the government should act. That is terrible.
“Otherwise let the labour say for the sake of the economy let us get to democratic conversation, like rallies, protests, statements and building up coalitions.
“Opposition parties, like the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and all others, have to really stand up to say, “Let us push for what labour is talking about, and tell the government to meet labour at this point.
“There is a collapse of democratic intercession by institutions that are created for that purpose. If all the opposition parties, especially LP that is more labour oriented should do so. But they are just mute.
“So, labour unions are in the position where they have to take “seen action” which is strike, withdraw their services and hit the government at the right point because the other means of democratic engagements are futile, nobody listens, nobody cares.
“They should stand up and say, this is our view Mr. President. Can the government come to this level, let us discuss. That is what it should be and in that case labour would say, there is a political engagement, and there is a possibility that something short of strike can happen, like the reversal of some policies.
“But here only brute force can necessitate an action, and that is not good. To me, I’ll say labour can think of an alternative to strike. I know that the government doesn’t listen, the government is so triumphant in their thinking. Governments often exaggerate their power.
“They just seek coercion and they forget that they often lack political legitimacy, and oftentimes they can’t sustain the use of force and the use of authority. They need soft power, persuasion. Government is for the people. So both should see themselves as collaborators.
“Go to Scandinavia where labour, government, and businesses work together to advance a much larger sense of public good, not only for workers but for business people and also for the public sector,” Amadi said.
- FG moves to secure natural resources, as presidential committee meets service chiefs - January 25, 2024
- Kogi govt pays JAMB registration fees for 15,033 public school students - January 24, 2024
- Edo Guber: APC debunks aspirants screening disqualification rumours - January 24, 2024
