Organised labour doing more harm to Nigerians — Presidency

The Presidency has warned that organised labour is doing more harm than good to the Nigerians that they claim they are fighting for.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the assertion on Monday in reaction to the ongoing nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to press home their demands for a new national minimum wage.

In a post on his X handle, @aonanuga1956, he observed that many sick Nigerians were unable to access medical care because of the strike.

Noting that labour must be playing politics with the issue of strike, the presidential aide alleged that they bear grudges against President Tinubu because they are members and supporters of the opposition Labour Party (LP).

The post reads: “It’s saddening that Labour could go to this extreme. But it is not surprising to the perceptive minds. Labour is harming the Nigerian people they claim to be fighting for.

“Today, many sick Nigerians could not access medical care at government hospitals. Not even those with critical medical conditions. It appears Labour is playing politics by other means.

“Many of the affiliates of the two central unions, NLC and TUC, are members and supporters of the Labour Party. They logically bear ill will and grudges against the Tinubu administration.

“What is clear is that the issue they claim to be fighting for cannot be resolved by blackmail or sabotage; it cannot even be resolved unilaterally by the Federal Government. The Labour leaders will still have to return to the negotiating table.”

Also in another post on X, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said striking labour union members have no right to shut down critical installations in the country.

This followed reports earlier in the day that the workers had shut down the national power grid, depriving the nation of electricity.

Ajayi posted: “The report of the forced shutdown of flight operations at the airports and power installations across the country by labour activists is disheartening.

“NLC/TUC members who want to withdraw their services as a result of the declared industrial action have the rights to do so.

“What they can’t do, however, is shut down critical national infrastructure like the power grid and other installations. That is economic sabotage.

“The right to go on strike does not allow for criminal actions under any guise or assault on citizens who are going about their lawful activities.”

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