2024 Nigerian general strike
| 2024 Nigerian general strike | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 31 May 2024 – present | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | Cost-of-living crisis | ||
| Goals | Increase of the minimum wage | ||
| Methods | Strike actions | ||
| Status | Ongoing
| ||
| Parties | |||
| Lead figures | |||
On 31 May 2024, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) called an indefinite general strike, demanding the country's monthly minimum wage be raised from ₦30,000 to ₦494,000. This came as a response to a national cost-of-living crisis, as the price of food and electricity overtook the minimum wage, which is relatively low for the large African economy.
The country's national grid and its airports were shut down on 3 June 2024, as were banks, hospitals and schools. The government responded by denouncing the unions' demands as "unreasonable" and declaring the strike to be illegal. The following day, the NLC and TUC suspended the strike for a week, pending talks with the government over raising the minimum wage.
Background[edit]
Since the election of Bola Tinubu as President of Nigeria in 2023, his government has carried out a number of economic reforms that have resulted in inflation rising to its highest rate in almost three decades, exacerbating Nigeria's cost-of-living crisis.[1][2][3][4] In response to the rising cost-of-living, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has led a series of major strikes in the country, in an attempt to pressure the government to provide relief for households affected by rising costs and raise the minimum wage.[1][4]
Although Nigeria has one of the largest economies in Africa, its minimum wage is relatively low compared with other African countries. The government proposed a 100% increase of the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦60,000, but the unions rejected this as "unsustainable" and demanded a larger increase.[2] According to BBC News, the monthly cost of the average Nigerian family's rice consumption is greater even than the government's proposed raised minimum wage.[3]
Strike action[edit]
After talks between unions and the government to raise the minimum wage collapsed, on Friday 31 May 2024, the NLC and TUC declared that an indefinite general strike would be held until their demands were met. The unions demanded an increase in the monthly minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦494,000.[1][3][4] The NLC stated that its aims were to establish a "living wage" and described the current minimum wage as a "starvation wage".[5] They also demanded the reversal of the government's electricity tariff hike, which had caused a rising price of electricity.[4]
On Monday 3 June, union workers in the electricity and airline industries stopped work, resulting in the complete shut down of the national grid and air travel throughout the country.[1][2][3] According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), operators of the power grid were forcibly removed from their stations and beaten. Striking workers were also photographed ordering officials of the Nigerian tax agency out of their offices.[2]
Striking workers also cut the electricity and water supplies to the National Assembly, while protests blocked the gates to the assembly building. Banks and hospitals were also reportedly shut down by the strike.[1] Speaking to CNN, one doctor expressed worry that the Nigerian healthcare system was "on the verge of collapse", as hospitals were unable to function without electricity from the national grid.[2] Schools were also shut down by the strike.[3] Unions in the oil industry have likewise threatened to stop work, although Gbenga Komolafe responded that systems had been established to prevent disruption to oil production.[5]
On Tuesday 4 June 2024, the NLC and TUC announced that they were suspending the general strike for a week, after the government signalled its willingness to raise the minimum wage higher than their previous proposal of ₦60,000.[6][7] As union leaders and the federal government met for talks on the proposed wage rise, NLC secretary Tayo Aboyeji said that the strike would resume the following week, if the government failed to come to an agreement with the unions. The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPNGW), which represents workers in the country's large petroleum industry, said it would hold off from recalling its workers while it waited to see the results of the negotiations.[6]
Responses[edit]
Government response[edit]
The Nigerian government has claimed that the unions' demands would "cripple economy" and cause job losses.[3] Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga himself accused the unions of "blackmail" and "sabotage", saying that "Labour is harming the Nigerian people they claim to be fighting for."[1] Lateef Fagbemi, the Minister of Justice, declared the strike to be illegal.[2] Mohammed Idris Malagi, the Minister of Information, said that the unions' demands would "destabilise the economy".[4]
Public response[edit]
The strike has been met with mixed reactions from the Nigerian public, with some expressing support for its aims of raising the minimum wage, while others worried that its targetting of public infrastructure would harm average Nigerians.[2] Speaking to the BBC, one information worker in Kato said that he would not settle for less than ₦100,000, although he worried that even that would not be enough as inflation continued.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Egbejule, Eromo (3 June 2024). "Nigerian unions shut down national grid and airports as indefinite strike begins". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Princewill, Nimi (3 June 2024). "Nigeria plunged into darkness as union workers shut down national grid in minimum wage protest". CNN. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Abubakar, Mansur (3 June 2024). "Power cut across Nigeria as workers go on strike". BBC News. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Nigeria's power grid shut down, airlines disrupted as unions strike". Al Jazeera. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Nigerian unions launch strike over failed minimum-wage negotiations". Voice of America. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ a b Onuah, Felix; Anyaogu, Isaac (4 June 2024). "Nigeria's unions suspend strike for talks over new minimum wage". Reuters. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ a b Jolaoso, Simi; Abubakar, Mansur (4 June 2024). "Nigeria unions suspend strike after wage offer". BBC News. Retrieved 5 June 2024.