TheCable

Ayuba Wabba, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), says the union embarked on a two-day protest against the ongoing ASUU strike because it is directly affected.

After series of failed negotiations between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve the strike, the NLC threatened to go on a two-day protest on July 26 and 27 in solidarity with ASUU.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, on Tuesday, Wabba said the protest is more than a solidarity action because the labour congress is directly affected.

The NLC president said the protest is not illegal, adding that it is a democratic norm which is constitutional and supported by international charters.

He said if the government does not resolve the issues after the two-day protest, the congress will resort to a three-day warning strike.

“The two day warning strike is to call for attention and the issues to resolved promptly. The next level is three-day national warning strike, if nothing has happened after the protest to show our grievances,” he said.

“These are democratic norms. Everywhere in the world, even as an individual you have the right to air your grievances.

“It is within the provision of our law; it is backed by UN charter for human and people rights; African charter for human and peoples right. It is there in our constitution — section 39, 40. Even the court has pronounced that you don’t require any permission. It is legal and within your fundamental human rights to protest issues.

“When people say it’s illegal, I think people should remember that no condition is permanent. We have had some of our current politicians join NLC to press for similar action in the past.

“We are not on a solidarity action, we are affected directly.”

Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, had said the protest was against international labour practices.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information, had also said the protest was illegal and would create anarchy in the country.