US embassy cable - 03LAGOS683

UNCLAS LAGOS 000683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
CAIRO FOR POL -- MAXSTADT 
 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PGOV, KDEM, ECON, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: APRIL FOOLS - NLC SUSPENDS STRIKE OF 
CIVIL SERVICE 
 
 
Ref: Lagos 673 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  Joseph Akinlaja, General Secretary of the 
National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, 
informed Laboff that the GON reached an agreement with 
the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at approximately 0100 
hours on April 1, 2003, hours before a nationwide civil 
service strike was scheduled to begin.  A few pockets 
of workers did not get word of the agreement and 
carried out the strike this morning; word of the 
agreement has since spread to most areas.  Despite 
initial confusion, there have been no serious violence 
or demonstrations.  Akinlaja said he is certain that 
NLC leaders will suspend the strike when they meet 
today in Abuja.  NLC President Adams Oshiomhole will 
hold a press conference to brief journalists on the 
NLC's position after union leaders review the 
agreement.  Details of the agreement will be available 
by April 2, 2003.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
2.  Despite the NLC's late night agreement, the 
national secretariat failed to send a clear signal in 
time to all state chapters to call off the strike. 
While most civil servants in Lagos and Abuja were 
informed this morning that the agreement was reached, 
small pockets of civil servants at the state level did 
not receive the news and did not report for work.  In 
Jos and Sokoto, where local radio stations announced 
that the strike had been called off, most workers 
reported for duty. 
 
 
3.  Oshiomhole's statement on the Hausa Service of the 
BBC this morning did not clarify matters in the North; 
he told listeners of the NLC's discussions with the GON 
but did not instruct workers to call off the strike. 
In Abuja, most of the streets housing government 
offices were empty this morning.  At the Federal 
Secretariat and Supreme Court, some workers attempted 
 
SIPDIS 
to force their colleagues to comply with the strike 
order.  Some of the workers who had reported to work 
capitalized on the confusion as an excuse to return 
home.  Several senior management officers remained at 
work to comply with the GON's instruction that workers 
from levels 7-17 are exempt from the strike.  At the 
Abuja airport, most of the offices were initially 
closed in the morning, but Aviation Minister Kema 
Chikwe reportedly instructed senior management to 
reopen the affected offices.  In Kano, the fuel 
scarcity coupled with the strike caused most workers to 
stay home.  Although some workers later reported, the 
strike had already paralyzed activities in Kano City. 
In Kaduna the strike was partially observed.  In the 
early morning, labor leaders locked out workers who 
reported for duty; by late morning, leaders allowed 
some workers to occupy their offices. 
 
 
4.  The Ambassador and Laboff are scheduled to meet 
with Oshiomhole on Thursday, April 3 to discuss the 
suspended strike, NLC efforts to resolve the 12.5 
percent wage increase dispute, and other labor issues 
leading up to the elections.  COMMENT:  We expect that 
tomorrow will return to normal, unless the purported 
agreement implodes as the sides wrangle over details. 
END COMMENT. 
 
 
HINSON-JONES