SPN SUPPORTS OGUN WORKERS WARNING STRIKE

WE SOLIDARISE WITH THE 2-DAY WARNING STRIKE OF OGUN STATE WORKERS OVER MINIMUM WAGE IMPLEMENTATION

PRESS STATEMENT

 

We of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Ogun State express solidarity with the organized labour in Ogun State on the decision to embark on a two-day warning strike from 19th to 20th December, 2019 if its demand for a negotiation committee on the minimum wage was not met by the state government.

We call on the Ogun State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) to stand firm and go ahead with the planned warning strike without compromise. To ensure a successful strike, we challenge the labour leadership to immediately commence mobilization of workers across the state through congress and meetings at workplaces. The warning strike action itself should not be seen as a sit-at-home strike. Public activities like mass rallies, processions and protests should be organized on the two days of the warning strike in order ensure sensitization of the public about the demands of workers. We also demand an urgent meeting of trade unions, Socialists and civil society groups to review the success of the 2-day warning strike and begin immediate preparation for an indefinite action starting January 2nd as declared by the labour centres.

We commend the leadership of the Ogun State Chapter of organized labour for their steadfastness and urge them not to waver on the strike mandate by the emergency Joint Congress of organized labour in the state. We also urge the labour leaders to include in their demands outstanding issues including unremitted deductions from union dues and pension; backlog of unpaid workers’ salaries at TASCE as well as the reinstatement of the immediate past chairman of the NLC comrade Ambali who was unjustly sacked by the immediate past APC government for leading legitimate struggles of workers 

We condemn the neglect and refusal of the Ogun State government to set up a negotiation committee that would determine the consequential adjustments of the newly signed wage law. We also condemn the Ogun state government for deliberately ignoring the letters and various calls of the organized labour in Ogun State for the constitution of the negotiation committee.

We support the call of the unions in Ogun State that if the Ogun State government fails to accede to the workers’ demands, it would embark an indefinite strike on Jan. 2, 2020. We are of the view that it is only through determined struggle that minimum wage implementation without retrenchment can be won.

We call on the labour movement in Ogun State and Nigeria at large to build a genuine working class political alternative to all the anti-poor ruling elite parties that can lead a successful struggle for socialist transformation of Nigeria under a workers and poor people’s government which would galvanize the resources of society to provide free and functional public education, healthcare and living wage among others. The SPN is a step along this line and we call on workers, students and youth to join us.

Abiodun Bamigboye                                     Chinedu Bosah

Acting National Chairperson                       National Secretary

  

SPN CALLS ON FG TO MEET ALL ELECTRICITY WORKERS DEMANDS

* Privatisation has failed! Nationalisation of the electricity sector under workers and consumers’ democratic control and management is the only way out!

Press Statement

 

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) calls on the Federal Government to avoid another strike in the power sector by ensuring all grievances of electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employee (NUEE) are addressed. 

The electricity workers suspended their strike after shutting down the national grid for 24 hours on Wednesday 11 December 2019. The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) strongly believes that the only way to prevent a reoccurrence of the shutdown and the agonising implications for millions of businesses and homes is for the Federal Government to ensure the workers’ demands are met fully and unconditionally. 

The indefinite strike was called by NUEE following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum. The strike main objective is to address grievances over non-payment of salary arrears, remittance of pension deductions and payment of gratuity to former PHCN workers etc. 

While the issues the workers have put forward as the raison d’etre of the strike are crucial issues of pay and conditions, the reality also is that the privatisation of the sector has failed and without addressing this failure, the power sector faces imminent collapse which would wipe out jobs and devastate lives. The private owners of the distribution lines have demonstrated their incapacity to deliver and so far, the privatisation has cost the government enormous amount of money as intervention funds and bailouts. 

On the basis of this, the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) demands revocation of the licenses of Discos, seizure of their assets in order to avert asset stripping, and prosecution of their owners and management for tax evasion and corrupt practices that make it impossible to deliver power and repay debts. Most importantly, the privatisation of the electricity sector should be reversed and the sector should be nationalised and placed under workers and consumers control and management. Only this can ensure the power sector provides jobs and ensures job security while also guaranteeing regular power supply and end to exploitation and other unwholesome practices.

Abiodun Bamigboye                                               Chinedu Bosah

Acting National Chairperson                                National Secretary