By VICTOR  AHIUMA-YOUNG

ORGANISED Labour has given reasons why it called off the April 10, nationwide mass protest and work-free-day declared in Lagos and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, in solidarity with pensioners over their unpaid benefits.

The suspension took many labour leaders in the states, society groups, and other sympathizers of the pensioners cause by surprise as they were all looking forward to the protest. Going by the preparations and the interest generated, that stakeholders were kept in the dark on the meeting with government left more to be desired.

Pension and You was informed that some labour leaders sneaked into Aso Rock Villa at about 9 pm on April 8 and did not come out till after 11 pm when they agreed to call off the protest.

Unlike before when it would be made known that government had invited labour for a meeting, this was done in what could be described as top secret.

In Lagos, it was reporters that told leaders of State Chapter of NLC and civil society groups who came for a final preparation on Tuesday ahead of the protest that it had been called off since Monday  night. The obviously shocked state officials of NLC and labour allies were left perplexed.

*File photo: Cross section of pensioners defying the downpour during a peaceful protest against non-payment of their entitlements at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida

One of the officials who was courageous to speak, said he was only told that a Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting was holding in Abuja.

Cartons of hand bills for the protest produced with workers’ money were dumped at Yaba Lagos office. Already tongues are wagging over this last minutes called off. However , announcing the suspension at the end of its emergency CWC, meeting in Abuja, NLC, said the suspension followed an outcome of Monday night (April 8) meeting with the Federal Government.

In  a communiqué issued by the Abdulwaheed Omar and Chris Uyot, President and Acting General Secretary of NLC, CWC said “In consideration of the fact that the Federal Government has sufficiently met with the demands of the Congress and National Union of Pensioners (NUP), including the setting up of a joint Committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to harmonise payments as well as resolve sundry matters connected with pension payment and administration of pension funds; CWC resolves to: Suspend forthwith the work stoppage/protest march billed to take place on Wednesday, April 10 in Lagos and Abuja.”

Members of CWC however threatened to “resume without warning the suspended action if by the end of April or there about, the Federal Government fails to implement all it has promised to do. Congress wishes to commend its workers and civil society allies for promptly mobilizing for this action.”

“It will be called that, at the joint meeting with the Congress and the Trade Union Congress on Monday night, April 8, 2013, the Federal Government among other things: Accepted to restore the check-off dues of the NUP which had been withheld for one year;  Ordered the withdrawal from the court the case between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and NUP in respect of the pension payment/matters; Set up a joint Committee of Labour and Government, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to resolve all issues pertaining to immediate payment of all pension arrears to deserving pensioners and revisitation/resumption of inconclusive verification exercises of 2010/2011 that left scores of pensioners off the payroll.

The review of pension payment to reflect 53.4% wage increase to workers in 2010 and the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage and Perfect and fast-track the process of pension payment. The committee has till the end of April or first week of May at the latest to complete its work.”

It will be recalled in the build up to the aborted protest, umbrella body for pro-labour civil society organizations, Joint Action Front, JAF, as well as Campaign for Workers Democratic Rights, CWDR, had given support to the planned protest and directed members nationwide to fully participate.