Joe Ajaero: NLC President Lacks Authority to Unilaterally Declare a Strike

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, explained during an interview with ARISE News why the union hasn’t yet called for a strike in response to the petrol price hike by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

He stated that no NLC president can unilaterally announce a strike without first consulting with either the Central Working Committee (CWC) or the National Executive Committee (NEC).

Ajaero emphasized that the NLC, like any organization, follows a formal process before making major decisions. He clarified, “The NLC president does not have the authority to suddenly declare a strike without proper discussions. We adhere to our procedures, where meetings are held as soon as possible to decide the next steps.

A strike can only be called after a meeting with our key bodies like the CWC or NEC.” He added that a meeting would be scheduled soon to ensure that the president’s personal opinion does not sway the members’ collective decision.

Ajaero also mentioned that the acceptance of the seventy thousand naira minimum wage by Organized Labour was based on an understanding with Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the pump price of petrol would not increase further.

This was made clear during their discussions at the Presidential Villa. He noted that if the president had proceeded with the petrol price hike, it would be necessary to reassess the implications, as seventy thousand naira would no longer be sufficient given the current situation.