The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has called on Organised Labour to swiftly mobilize and initiate a nationwide strike in response to the minimum wage and recent electricity tariff increases. According to the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, the deadlock in negotiations over a new minimum wage has persisted for over three weeks.
The CDWR highlighted that the insistence by government and the private sector on a N60,000 minimum wage led to the declaration of an indefinite strike starting June 3, 2024, which was later suspended on June 4, 2024.
Urging the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), the group advocated for a 48-hour general strike and mass protests to demand the reversal of anti-poor policies and a minimum wage of at least N200,000.
It argued that “The mass protest of mostly young people has just forced the Ruto-led government in Kenya to withdraw the IMF/World Bank-inspired tax increment policy. This example shows that it is also possible for Nigerian working people and youth to force the Tinubu-led government to reverse the prices of petroleum products, electricity tariffs, fee hikes in public schools, and all other neo-liberal capitalist policies, policies which would give some immediate respite to most Nigerians.
“CDWR calls on the leadership of NLC and TUC, as the next step in the minimum wage struggle, to declare and this time mobilise widely for a 48-hour general strike and mass protest to demand a minimum wage not less than N200,000 and the reversal of all anti-poor policies (privatization, deregulation, subsidy removal, electricity tariff hike etc).
“However, given the recent failures of the NLC and TUC to seriously mobilise trade unionists and activists must themselves take steps to organise a campaign at the grassroots level to both build support for the struggle and for the trade unions to have leaders who take their responsibilities seriously.
“Amongst the immediate demands should be the call for the inclusion of a demand that the minimum wage must be automatically adjusted in line with the rate of inflation and the rising cost of living, minimum wage need not wait for four or five years before adjustment.”
The group added that the declaration of the strike may forestall needless long negotiations and ensure wages do not fall behind the inflationary rate and poverty line.
“We should add that it will require a serious struggle to force the capitalist elite to agree to this and actually implement it as they will try to take back any concessions they have been forced to make,” it added.
