Miracle Akubuo
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the federal government on Thursday.
This action follows the failed implementation of the 16-point agreement between the organized labor (NLC and TUC) and the federal government on October 2, 2023.
However, in response to this, Nigerians have taken to Twitter to express skepticism about the credibility and effectiveness of the labor unions.
A Twitter user, Ozone, remarked, “These guys are losing their credibility, always talking without action.”
Another user, Thodo Yusufu, highlighted the perceived corruption within Nigeria’s labor unions, stating, “These people just want to get money from the federal government, once they get paid, they call off the protests.”
In a different perspective, Michael Zucci suggested that protests should involve all workers, not just public servants, advocating for fair wages across all sectors.
He said, “I will support the NLC/TUC strike action if they advocate that every employer should pay minimum wage to their staff, domestic or otherwise. Minimum wage should not only apply to public servants. Enough of this one-sided advocacy. It’s part of the problem.”
Expressing distrust, Friday Obiekwugo proposed halting the protest to avoid further negative consequences. He stated, “They shouldn’t go on strike or protest because there has never been any positive outcome from past strikes. They should not add insult to injury or inflict more pain on people.”
Kendo humorously questioned the motives behind the protests, asking, “Has the bribe money given to them finished and they are looking for a new one?”
Centigraph cynically commented, “These people have resurfaced again, later they will disappear again.”
However, Dotun suggested implementing policies to regulate labor unions’ activities with the federal government, proposing, “It is not necessary to strike every time. The labor union should engage the government on policies that will reduce hardship. Strikes will not offer a permanent solution.”
