Osun CSO berates NLC over sympathy strike

…Says action will worsen hardship, urges dialogue over withheld council funds By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo The World Institute for Peace (WIP), a civil society organisation, has criticised the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Osun State over its decision to embark on a three-day sympathy strike in support of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), describing the action as unnecessary and counterproductive.

The strike, which commenced on Monday, followed the NLC’s directive to its affiliate unions to protest the continued withholding of local government allocations amid the prolonged political dispute between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over control of local government administration in the state. The industrial action resulted in the closure of schools and public offices across the state as workers complied with the directive.

Reacting to the development, WIP Executive Director, Lamina Kamiludeen, said the strike would further compound the economic difficulties facing residents without resolving the lingering local government crisis. Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Monday, Kamiludeen urged the labour unions to pursue dialogue and an out-of-court settlement, noting that the dispute was already before courts of competent jurisdiction.

He argued that organised labour should prioritise constructive engagement among the parties rather than shutting down public institutions, particularly schools. According to him, the labour movement should serve as the voice of workers and vulnerable members of society, while demonstrating an understanding of legal and judicial processes in handling disputes.

Kamiludeen said the unions could engage the parties involved in the dispute to explore an amicable resolution that would allow the release of the disputed local government funds. He also suggested that the labour leaders could leverage their reported inclusion in President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council, as announced by Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to facilitate dialogue among the political stakeholders.

“The option we would have expected from the labour unions is constructive dialogue with all parties involved in the ongoing litigations. The unions should persuade the parties to either withdraw the cases or consider an out-of-court settlement that would pave the way for the resolution of the impasse surrounding local government funds in Osun State,” he said.

Kamiludeen appealed to the unions to reconsider the strike, warning that its consequences would be borne largely by ordinary residents, particularly pupils whose education had been disrupted. He maintained that industrial action would not resolve the dispute while the cases remained before the courts, urging the unions to use their channels of engagement to facilitate an amicable settlement.

“The people should not be subjected to unnecessary hardship through a strike when everyone understands that the final decision on the local government allocation crisis rests with the judiciary,” he said. The WIP director also called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to strengthen security across the state and protect public and private facilities against possible attacks or destruction during the strike.

He warned against attempts by hoodlums or criminal elements to exploit the industrial action to disrupt public peace. Kamiludeen urged political actors and other stakeholders to avoid actions capable of reigniting hostilities, deepening divisions or threatening the stability of the state.