US embassy cable - 04ABUJA1442

UNCLAS ABUJA 001442 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PGOV, PINR, KDEM, ECON, NI 
SUBJECT: THE NIGERIA LABOR CONGRESS MOBILIZES AGAINST 
THE LABOR BILL 
 
REF:  LAGOS 1303 
 
1.  Summary.  The Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) has 
unveiled its plan to stop the passage of a trade union 
reform bill now before the national assembly.  Proposed 
by the Presidency, the bill seeks to end the NLC's 
monopoly as the only recognized labor federation in 
Nigeria, stop automatic dues payments, and make public 
education and hospital strikes illegal.  End Summary. 
 
2.  The National Executive Council of the NLC met in 
Abuja on August 16 to plan its strategy to counter the 
GON's proposed labor reform bill (reftel), which the 
NLC alleged is designed to weaken the trade union 
movement.  It announced that it would hold a series of 
mass rallies to mobilize popular support against the 
bill and persuade the National Assembly to reject it. 
NLC President Adams Oshiomhole told journalists in 
Abuja that a nationwide rally will be held in Abuja on 
August 24, then in all the 36 states.  Oshiomhole said 
labor leaders from all the industrial unions will 
participate in a "grand rally" at the National Assembly 
on August 24 to persuade the lawmakers to reject the 
bill.  "We will go to the National Assembly and put our 
case across in a peaceful manner.  This rally is not a 
strike," Oshiomhole explained.  He said NLC's state 
councils will organize similar rallies and meet with 
lawmakers and other stakeholders to seek their support. 
 
3.  The labor bill was presented by the Presidency to 
the National Assembly in June, and it seeks to promote 
multiple labor federations, rather than the present 
structure that recognizes the Nigeria Labor Congress as 
the sole labor federation in Nigeria.  The bill also 
seeks to amend the Trade Dispute Act to make employee 
payment of dues to trade unions voluntary and outlaw 
strikes in public education and health sectors.  Also, 
trade unions will no longer legally call strikes 
without a two-thirds vote in favor by union members. 
On August 12, the labor bill was formally read on the 
floor of the Senate, starting deliberation on it. 
 
4.  If the bill passes at the National Assembly, the 
NLC will no longer be the only labor federation in 
Nigeria.  Membership of trade unions will become 
voluntary, and employers will no longer deduct union 
dues from employees without their permission. 
 
5.  NLC spokesmen have stated on several occasions that 
the NLC is not opposed to a reform of the labor law, 
but it insists that such a reform should be the product 
of tripartite discussions involving all stakeholders: 
the NLC, the GON, and employers.  The NLC claims the 
bill is vindictive, and merely designed to punish it, 
or weaken its opposition to some of the GON's economic 
policies, especially fuel price deregulation.  The GON 
argues that the reforms are in line with the 
International Labor Organization's (ILO) 
recommendations, while the NLC replies that the 
proposed bill violates numerous sections of the ILO 
standards. 
 
6.  Comment.  The NLC's support for labor reform may be 
too little, too late.  When the NLC called a national 
strike in June, it fizzled after two days, without 
accomplishing its stated objective of blocking fuel 
deregulation.  It may be difficult to motivate the 
Nigerian public, most of whom live hand-to-mouth, that 
the NLC's monopoly is essential, and it is not unlikely 
that the National Assembly, dominated by the ruling 
People's Democratic Party (PDP), will pass the bill 
into law.   From all indications, the weeks ahead will 
be critical to the continued survival of the NLC.  End 
Comment. 
 
BROWNE