A Short History of Strikes in Nigeria
The Impact of the Nigerian Strikes of 1945 and 1949
We are all aware of strikes in Nigeria; these events are quite constant in the country. Just recently the oil marketers and importers held a strike that brought the nation’s economy to a grinding halt, Forcing massive queues at petrol stations across the country. Health Workers across the nation have had strikes on and off over the last several months due to grievances with working conditions and pay. We had the big strikes that occurred following the removal of Oil Subsidies by Jonathan Government. Finally, let’s not forget the common issue of University strikes that have plagued the nation since only God knows when. This is all due to several issues such as poor conditions in the classrooms in some schools or substandard pay in others. The General purpose of a strike is to take a stand when all other methods of airing grievances have failed; generally seen as the final alternative to getting what you need or want. It is important to note that strikes in Nigeria are not a modern phenomenon, as there have been several key strikes that have taken place in the past. Two key strikes stand out due to them accelerating the collapse of British Colonialism in Nigeria. The first notable one was the General strike of 1945.
1942 many trade unions in Nigeria became federated under the “Federated trade unions of Nigeria”. This Organization would serve as the central control for all unions under it. The strike of 1945 occurred for two reasons. Firstly it occurred due to the rising cost of living for workers. When World War 2 ended, inflation increased and workers wages remained the same. The second reason the strike occurred was racial discrimination. Workers argued that their European colleagues received much different and higher wages than their African counterparts and frankly it could not be tolerated any longer. 17 labour unions comprising of 30,000 workers across Nigeria went on strike until their demands were met. For the next 37 days, the government tried and failed to bring an end to the strike. The Impact of the strike was devastating and it left a nationalistic imprint that would change the nation. The strike itself was a direct defiance of colonial authority in Nigeria and proof that if everybody organised well enough and cohesively; they would pose a threat to the status quo. It is important to note that the strike very much influenced the Zikist Movement that occurred between 1946–1950; while also giving birth to Northern Consciousness. This influenced the formation of the Northern Peoples Congress in 1949. A party that would end up forming the first government as of Independence 11 years later
The Second Important strike to occur in Nigeria was the Enugu Coal Miners strike of 1949. The grievances occurred due to the belief that the management was intentionally holding up their salary; this belief was sensationalized by Nationalist Press. As a result, the coal miners issued a sit-down strike in the mines, refusing to work until their demands were met. Fear gripped the government and had the explosives in the mines removed, for fear they would use it towards their demands. Fearing that this action would lead to the closure of the mines, the miners alerted the Market Women who came with sticks and machetes to prevent any further removal of the explosives. Tensions would eventually heat up and the Police fired into the Protesters killing 21 Miners and Injuring 51 others. The events that occurred at the Enugu Coal Miners strike led to an eruption of anger across cities in Nigeria and meant more ammunition for the Zikist Movement against the colonial Government. Riots and Looting would occur in Aba, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Onitsha.
