Enough Of These Strikes

All over the world, work
ers at one time the world, workers at one time or the other take industrial action, usually with the aim of achieving an improvement in pay or terms of employment.
Nigeria has had   its on share  of the action with the incessant  strike actions embarked  upon by labour unions at all times, particularly in the recent past.
The country has witnessed  various groups  of employees, down tooling for different reasons like enforcing  demand relating to employment conditions on their employer, protesting  unfair labour practices and others. Today, Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities  (ASUU) is on strike, tomorrow it will be Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), and so on and it seems there is no end to these needless strike actions as more groups join the train every now  and then.
Six weeks ago, the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) started a  nationwide  indefinite  strike. The  demand of the members  include enhanced conditions of service of health  workers, parity with medical doctors, and many more.
As if the pains inflicted on the poor masses who are unable  to acess treatment  on account of the strike was not enough,  oil workers, under the aegis of the Petroleum  and Natural Gas Senior  Staff  Association of Nigerian (PENGASSSAN) and the  National Union  of Petroleum  and Natural Gas  Workers (NUPENG) began an indefinite strike last Monday. Part of their grievances include: delay in carrying out the Turn. Around Maintenance  of refineries. Global  crude oil prices slump. Expatriate  quota law, appalling state of access roads to  refineries and  oil depots, insecurity, casualisation of workers, non implementation of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry content Development (NOGICD) Act, and other anti-labour practices.
The story is the same in many states as many labour  unions are either  on strike or gearing up to start. For instance the Association of Senior Civil Servants,  Rivers State branch has given the State government a few days to pay the workers  salaries and outstanding debts to the  workers or  face the wrath of the workers.
The question is; what is it that government and  other employers of labour in the country are not doing  well that make workers abandon their jobs every now and then in protest? Some of the striking unions like JOHESU, PENGASSAN, and  NUPENG alleged that government entered  into agreements with them on some of their demands, but is yet to fully implement them.
Of course, some of the workers, demands, like the appalling state  of access roads to the  refineries and oil depots are quite  genuine. It usually bit my imagination how such important  roads like the refinery road Eleme should be left in  such deplorable  condition.
One does not also understand  why government should make  promises to workers but fail, to fulfill them or why workers salaries and allowances will not be paid  for many months yet those in  authority have enough money to lavish on campaigns, and other political activities.
However, while one advocates  good working conditions for all workers n Nigeria, the incessant deployment of strike as a weapon for resolving all industrial matters is highly condemnable. Nigerians are indeed, tired of the easy recourse to strike as a means of compelling government to live up to expectations.
The worse is calling workers  out on strike during the festive period like the ongoing Oil workers strike because  of its adverse effect on innocent citizens.
It is high time the labour unions devised  other creative ways of resolving  any industrial problem Other than strike.
The unions, I believe  can achieve  a better result through  dialogue  instead of putting down their  tools  in protest for whatever grievances they have.
I support JOHESU’s quest for a fair and equal  treatment  among all the workers in the health sector, Civil Servants’ demand for  prompt payment of their salaries and allowances; PENGASSAN’s struggle for the elimination of anti-labour practices  in the oil industry and better  working conditions for oil workers and indeed all unions in Nigeria, but there must be other ways of achieving these other than making the economy  and  the citizens suffer. Progress cannot  thrive in an environment of instability.
Therefore, government and the striking workers should sheathe  their swords and go to the  negotiating  table to iron out their differences.  Let’s  hope  the planned  oil workers  with the  Minister  of Labour  and the Petroleum  Ministry will  bring  an end to the on-going oil  workers strike so that people  will not spend the Christmas and new year holiday on fuel queues  in search of petrol.
Government on the other  hand should realise that the ability of  a government  to honour its  words makes  such government  responsible. Government  should always  keep any agreement entered into with labour  unions to save the country from sufferings  and hardship occasioned by incessant strikes.
Really, why should government  wait for labour unions to down  tools before giving listening ears to their demands? What about  nipping the situation in the bud?
Government at all levels should be more sensitive  to the plight of  workers. The welfare of workers should be the top priority of any responsible government.

Calista Ezeaku