US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1398

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 001398 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
DOE FOR DAS JBRODMAN AND CGAYE 
TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS AND SRENANDER 
DOC FOR KBURRESS 
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION MARAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ 
STATE PASS EX-IM FOR JRICHTER AND KVRANICH 
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND JEDWARDS 
STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT AND BTERNET 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, EPET, KDEM, PGOV, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN LABOR CONGRESS CONTINUES TO RESTRATEGIZE 
 
REF: A) LAGOS 1397 B) LAGOS 1377 C) LAGOS 1376 D-) 
 
     LAGOS 1350 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1.  (U) With its sights diverted from a national strike for 
the time being, the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) is 
organizing a series of rallies designed, at the very least, 
to get GON agreement to rebuild four non-operational 
refineries and to commit to full deregulation of the 
petroleum industry.  They blame the GON for employing a 
"divide and conquer" strategy toward labor unions and 
continue to assert their role as labor sector leader.  End 
Summary. 
 
NLC Ploy: Labor Rallies to Gather 
Grass Roots Support for Strike 
--------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) After deciding to organize nation-wide rallies 
instead of a strike, NLC officials explained, in pro forma 
fashion, the rallies would allow them to gather grass roots 
support for a strike they still believe is in the offing.  In 
addition to the nine cities mentioned in ref A, the NLC is 
organizing a rally in Abuja in front of the National Assembly 
building.  This last rally will occur in October with the 
active help of some National Assembly members.  At each 
venue, the NLC will sponsor speakers at a preplanned location 
and then continue the protests with marches through the city. 
 In Lagos, for instance, the NLC will begin activities either 
in Ikeja or Yaba, two suburbs, and then send their mobile 
platform throughout the rest of the city.  State chapters of 
NLC have also been asked to hold independent rallies, and the 
NLC has gotten commitments from the Anambra, Rivers, and 
Kwara state headquarters to hold rallies. 
 
NLC Changes Strategy to Broaden Appeal 
-------------------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) So far, a nine-member committee has been making 
decisions as to how labor should proceed.  The committee 
consists of a representative from the NLC, the Trade Union 
Congress (TUC), the Congress of Free Trade Unions (CFTU), and 
six civil society organizations.  Denja Yaqub, NLC Assistant 
Secretary, explained the NLC had problems delineating the 
 
SIPDIS 
parameters of the strike with the civil society 
organizations.  According to him, these organizations desired 
to cut off contact with government during the strike and to 
brandish signs demanding the resignation of the current 
government.  NLC's position, of course, was much less radical 
and would have to appeal to all groups as a whole. 
 
4.  (SBU) Yaqub said some people wanted the strike to have 
focused strictly on fuel prices, but NLC demands were far 
more extensive.  He listed several goals the NLC hoped to 
achieve:  compensation for over 75,000 civil service 
employees in the process of being released; total 
deregulation of the petroleum sector while still maintaining 
subsidies; and new anti-corruption measures.  On the last 
front, Yaqub said the NLC wanted to redirect funds earmarked 
for the presidential library in Abeokuta to the repair of 
four oil refineries.  He said they would ask for a review of 
all government staff, claiming many government workers had no 
actual work but were on the payroll as friends of important 
people.  (Comment.  The claim to want deregulation of the 
petroleum sector while maintaining subsidies is casuistry. 
The essence of deregulation is the departure of subsidies. 
For the NLC official to speak of the coexistence of both was 
to speak with a bifurcated tongue.  End Comment.) 
 
NLC Clashes with Government Over Tactics, Goals 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
5.  (SBU) The NLC met officials from the Ministries of Labor 
and Finance and from the Petroleum Products Pricing 
Regulation Agency (PPPRA) Tuesday, September 6.  NLC 
characterized the meeting as a "waste."  They stated the N7 
billion package offered primarily to increase mass transit 
capacity throughout the states of Nigeria was simply a 
regurgitation of Mantu Committee recommendations accepted 
last year.  The NLC ended the meeting saying no further 
negotiations would be possible without the direct appearance 
of the President. 
 
6.  (SBU) Yaqub noted the GON originally requested to meet 
the NLC September 5, after the NLC had announced it would be 
meeting that same day with other labor organizations.  In 
addition, he said the GON continues to "play politics" with 
the TUC by delaying its full recognition as a second central 
labor organization in order to maintain leverage over the TUC 
at this sensitive moment.  Yaqub boasted the NLC has over 4 
million members, while TUC membership was around 1 million. 
He also gave little credence to the idea that the TUC could 
command a position as representative of senior workers 
(reftel), explaining Nigerian workers are finding that senior 
and junior level concerns are similar and can be handled 
through the same organization.  He summed up GON's current 
dealings with various labor organizations as consummate 
"divide and conquer" tactics. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
7.  (SBU) Yaqub's insistence that NLC changed strategy on its 
own accord does not jibe with information reported in ref A 
regarding reactions of other labor organizations.  Yaqub's 
assessment of the NLC's strength may be a bit too roseate and 
biased.  He continues to cling to hopes of a strike and was 
quick to stress NLC's leadership of civil society 
organizations and its size relative to other labor bodies. 
Whatever the cause, NLC's quick move to softpedal the strike 
and to adapt to the opinions of other labor organizations 
indicates that the NLC does not have organizational strength 
or public backing to unilaterally call the shots.  It must 
work in concert with groups that are both more moderate 
(other labor organizations) and more militant (some civil 
society groups) than the NLC.  End Comment. 
BROWNE