Some Nigerians have decried the incessant strikes witnessed under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, saying that they have impacted negatively on the economy and national development.
They made their views known in a national survey by the News Agency of Nigeria .
Some labour leaders identified failure on the part of government and the management of companies to honour agreements as the major cause of the strikes.
In Abia, the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Mr Sylvanus Eyeh, told NAN that labour often resorted to strike when government failed to implement negotiated agreements.
He said, “Workers usually embark on strike, when government fails to implement its agreement with the union.’’
Mr Hyacinth Okoli, the Chairman, Abia Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, corroborated Eyeh’s views, stressing that government and labour should always reach “implementable agreements’’ on industrial issues.
“Government should endeavour to respect agreements it willingly entered into; but where it becomes obvious that the agreements are no longer feasible, labour should show understanding, ” Okoli said.
A public affairs analyst, Mr Emma Ugwu, blamed labour for “always making unrealistic demands from government” and holding the nation to ransom.
Ugwu cited the incessant strikes by ASUU, ASUP and NMA as instances, saying that labour had ceased to enjoy public sympathy for most of its agitations.
He said that apart from making “unrealistic demands”, labour often exhibited a high level insensitivity to the nation’s economic downturn and the consequences of strikes on the citizenry.
Ugwu and Okoli said that strikes “paralyse the system and the economy, and at the end government will be arm twisted to pay the salaries of the striking workers.”
They urged labour to evolve a more realistic and friendly means of resolving industrial disputes with the government in the interest of the nation’s economy and ‘the common man’.
In Ogun, the NLC Chairman Akeem Ambali, expressed similar opinion, and urged the Federal Government to honour agreements reached with labour unions.
He said, “Throughout the world, government is measured by the standard of adherence to signed agreement. The law of collective bargaining is simple.
“When you see a government that reneges voluntarily on agreement, you expect hiccups in the system.
“Until government turns a new leaf to appreciate and respect the leadership of labour unions and shows sincerity to the plight of the masses, the issue of incessant strikes may subsist,” Ambail said.
Mr Samuel Adesanya, the Deputy President, Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), said labour leaders were aware that dialogue, negotiations and industrial courts were alternative dispute settling mechanisms.
Adesanya, however, opined that “the negative attitude of the government often discouraged labour unions from exploring the options.
“You discover that the government representatives often use delay tactics by failing to turn up for dialogues or claim that they did not have mandate to commit the government to a particular level of negotiation.’’
Also, Mr Okikiola Ogunsola, the Chairman, Ogun chapter of National Association of Nigeria Student (NANS), said that some of the strikes were induced.
He alleged that on some occasions, opposition parties used labour leaders, adding that in such occasion, “they often turn deaf ears to all entreaties by the government’’.
But, Mrs Modupe Adekunle, the Ogun Head of Service, decried the strikes, which he said, had its negative effect on the economy.
“The incessant strikes have impacted negatively on the nation’s economy, part of which are loss of national output, fall in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and manpower loss.
“When there is strike, goods and services will be scarce while demand will be high; and this will result in inflation as too much money will be chasing few goods, thereby crippling the economy,” Adekunle said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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