VZCZCXRO6529
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHUJA #2006/01 3061835
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021835Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7393
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002006 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO, DRL, AF/W, INR/AA; 
STATE PASS TO USTR (AGAMA); 
LABOR FOR SUDHA HALEY; 
COMMERCE FOR 3317/ITA/OA (KBURRESS) 
TREASURY FOR DAN PETERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ELAB EAID ENRG PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN LABOR PROTESTS AGAINST DEREGULATION 
 
REF: A. ABUJA 1191 
     ¶B. ABUJA 1117 
 
-------- 
SUMMARY: 
-------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Some 15,000 members of national and state unions, 
civil society organizations, and political parties marched on 
October 29 to the National Assembly to protest the GON's 
proposed deregulation of fuel prices and the lack of action 
on minimum wage and electoral reform issues.  The Nigerian 
Labor Congress, Nigeria's largest umbrella union, led the 
effort following successful similar events in Kano, Lagos, 
and Maiduguri in June and July.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) General Secretary John 
Odah told LabOff October 30 that the Abuja protest march and 
rally attracted 15,000 participants from local NLC offices in 
each state of the country, its affiliate unions and 
associations, civil society and human rights organizations, 
and other activist organizations.  Addressing the crowd, NLC 
President Abdulwaheed Omar declared that "if the government 
insists on pursuing anti-people and anti-democratic policies, 
which we believe will be detrimental to workers and the 
Nigerian people, the Labor movement will have no option but 
to embark on a full-blown national strike." 
 
¶3. (SBU) House Committee on Labour and Productivity 
Chairperson Ado Audu admitted to LabOff on October 30 that he 
was "extremely impressed" with the large turnout "but 
unfortunately, "the government has already made up its mind 
with deregulation; it will allow the NLC to make noise, but 
the decision will definitely go forward." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Odah told LabOff that the "government's policies on 
deregulation, minimum wage and electoral reform are all 
disappointing and punishing regular Nigerians for the 
incompetence and corruption of their leaders."  He stated 
that "the average Nigerian does not trust market forces 
enough to believe that deregulation will be beneficial; we 
all agree it is necessary to reform the status quo, but if 
the government is sincere, it will first stop importing 
refined petroleum and build its own refineries, allowing us 
more control over costs and productivity."  He added, "Until 
then, "market forces will continue to be controlled by 
corrupt forces." 
 
¶5. (SBU) Labour Party Chairman Dan Nwanyanwu told LabOff that 
"it is not that Nigeria does not have the money; it is the 
shameful mismanagement of her resources."  Nwanyanwu asserted 
that "we are not saying anything different from what 
Secretary Clinton told us at her Town Hall, that the people 
are suffering from the corruption of its leaders." 
 
¶6. (SBU) Nigeria's second largest umbrella union, the Trade 
Union Congress (TUC) also joined the Abuja protest.  Else 
affirmed to PolOff 30 that the TUC stood in solidarity with 
the NLC, and agreed that refinery infrastructure should be 
the GON's first priority.  He lamented that "the reason why 
Qthe GON's first priority.  He lamented that "the reason why 
we were so successful in yesterday's rally and had so many 
people supporting us is because more Nigerians each day are 
getting tired that the government is not listening to its 
people.  This is true not just of deregulation, but minimum 
wage -- which has not been reviewed for over 10 years -- and 
especially electoral reform, which appears inactive." 
 
¶7. (SBU) At the end of the rally, the NLC issued a joint 
communique with the TUC and the Labour and Civil Society 
Coalition (LACSO) that asserted that despite a 15-percent 
 
ABUJA 00002006  002 OF 002 
 
 
increase in wages over the last three years, emoluments of 
public office holders increased by over 800 percent.  (N.B.: 
International Labor Organization Social Dialogue Director 
Tayo Fayoshin visited Nigeria in July and informed LabOff 
that "Nigeria's minimum wage structure needs a major 
overhaul, beginning with a minimum wage review, which hasn't 
taken place in over 10 years."  End Note.) 
 
¶8. (SBU) Rally speaker Femi Falana, the noted radical human 
rights lawyer whose clients include former Economic and 
Financial Crimes Commission Chair Nuhu Ribadu and Niger Delta 
militant Henry Okah, warned that this was only the beginning 
of nationwide protests, especially if the 2011 election is 
rigged.  TUC President Esele told the cheering crowd that 
electoral reform involved "the only solution to Nigeria's 
current economic and political crisis," while Labour Party 
Chairman Nwanyanwu criticized the GON for "robbing election 
victories in five states." 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶9. (SBU) This is the NLC's fourth and biggest organized 
protest against fuel price deregulation and inaction on 
minimum wage and electoral reforms.  The last time these 
organizations coalesced around a single issue was in 2007, 
again over fuel prices, when they effectively shut down the 
country with nationwide strikes.  Deregulation may be long 
over due as an economic and financial imperative, but fuel 
subsidies are among the few tangible benefits Nigerians get 
from government, and many Nigerians are reluctant to see them 
go. 
 
SANDERS