Lagos — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is ill at ease as the planned rally by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to put pressure on the Federal Government to drop its deregulation policy is expected to begin today in Lagos.

Labour is also embarking on the protest to get government to implement the recommendations of the Justice Muhammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) and meet its (labour's) demand for new minimum wage.

The ruling PDP said the planned protest had political undertone.

A statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Ahmed Alkali, expressed deep concern over the proposed protest and fingered the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and other opposition political parties behind the rallies.

Members of the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) as well as their partners, the civil society coalition, are expected to file out today through the major streets of Lagos to express their grievances.

The first phase of the protest will take off in Lagos, followed by rallies in Asaba on Friday, while those of Kano and Maiduguri will hold Tuesday and Thursday, next week.

Rallies in Ibadan, Makurdi, Enugu and Abuja are billed for the second phase.

Meanwhile, ahead of the protest, Inspector-General of Police Mike Okiro has directed commissioners of police of the various commands to extract an undertaking of good conduct from executives of NLC, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and other civil society groups involved in organising the mass protest.

NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said labour would not call off the rally as it was approved by the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the union.

He said: "We cannot call off the rally, because it is a resolution of the Central Working Committee. For any contrary decision to be taken, it has to come from the Central Working Committee of NLC.

"We are only obeying the decision of our Central Working Committee. There is nothing we can do as per calling off the rally. The rally must go ahead as planned."

NLC General-Secretary, Comrade John Odah, also told THISDAY last night on telephone that the workers and their allies would commence a procession from the congress' secretariat at Olajuwon Street, Lagos today and march through the streets to wind up at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

Odah said labour would make a presentation of a list of its demands to the state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, for onward transmission to the authorities in Abuja.

On the security alarm raised on Monday by the Federal Government, Odah said the protest was intended to be a peaceful one and that the police and security agencies should do well to steer clear of the various routes so as not to provoke a clash with protesters.

NLC Vice-President, Comrade Issa Aremu, said the protest was in the interest of Nigerians as it would help in deepening democracy and good governance

Aremu, who is also the Secretary-General of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), said in a statement in Kaduna that pronouncements by both Minister of Labour Adetokunbo Kayode and House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole on the planned protest "was a desperate move to politicise labour grievances on the altar of crude partisanship".

In condemning NLC rallies, PDP said: "While we recognise and acknowledge the rights of the labour movement and indeed all Nigerians to organise and press home their legitimate demands, we find it patently uncomfortable that such demands are mixed with politics.

"In particular, we find the timing of the protests by the NLC as both inappropriate and inauspicious and no doubt would provide a platform for desperate elements to cause chaos and anarchy."

The statement from PDP further said: "We do not want to believe that the NLC, known for its principled disposition would succumb to dangerous and foul antics of some opposition politicians who are seeking relevance. Already, there is the possible scenario of some disgruntled elements positioning themselves to take advantage of the rallies to vent their frustrations and consequently destabilise Nigeria."

PDP also condemned the support which the rally is receiving from opposition political parties, saying "This action is opportunistic and does not in any way help in finding solutions to the problems of welfare of workers . Their voice is always heard only in an atmosphere of confusion and as such, no reasonable Nigerian takes them seriously."

On the issue of electoral reform, PDP said it disagreed with the issues raised by labour on the implementation of the report.

The party said: "Despite posturing to the contrary, we find no direct relationship between the demand for the improvement of the welfare package of workers and the implementation of the Uwais report."

It therefore appealed to NLC to be worthy partners with government in its efforts to tackle the economic challenges posed by the global financial meltdown and call off the strike.

However, CNPP, in a statement signed by Osita Okechukwu, said the rally was well timed and the coalition of opposition political parties supports it.

A press statement signed by a Commissioner of Police and Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, Austin Obaedo, said Okiro directed the commissioners to enter a written undertaking with the unionists that there would be no breach of public peace in the course of the protest.

He said organisers of the protest should furnish the police with details of the routes of the planned protest in order to provide adequate security for the protesters and other members of the public who would not participate.

The statement expressed the IGP's concern for the security and safety of all citizens necessitating the need for the listed measures.

Excerpt from the statement reads: "The IGP is more concerned with security and safety of all citizens. In order to prevent hoodlums and thugs from hijacking or taking undue advantage of the peaceful protest, he has directed all the commands Commissioners of Police to immediately invite the executives of the NLC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN and other civil societies in their commands to enter into a written undertaking that there will be no breach of public peace throughout the duration of their peaceful protest.

"Also, the organizers are to inform the police of the routes they intend to march through so that adequate security could be provided for the protesters and other members of the public who would not participate "

The genesis of the present protest began when the NLC made a bid to get government to negotiate a new minimum wage of N52,000.

The problem, however, got accentuated with government proposing a policy of full deregulation of the domestic petroleum sector which organised labour kicked against on the grounds that it would further aggravate the economic hardship confronting the people rather than solve the supply problems.

However, it was not until the Federal Government released its White Paper on the recommendations of the Justice Uwais electoral reform committee that the showdown with labour was ignited.

NLC at its NEC in March resolved that it would embark on focused rallies and protests as a first step towards getting government to abandon the policy.

It also expressed disappointment that almost three months after the National Minimum Wage Review demand was served on government; it is yet to set up the tripartite structure for negotiation.

It resolved that an appropriately worded letter be written to government to demand that the negotiating framework be put in place without further delay. Where government fails to do this within 21 days of the letter, NEC will resolve on the next steps to take to ensure a speedy review of the minimum wage.

In the meantime, the organised labour resolved to use rallies and protests to further mobilize Nigerians on the matter.

One of the issues that seriously agitated the minds of the workers was the delay in issuing a White Paper on the Report of the ERC, and reports on attempts to jettison some of the key recommendations of the committee.

Congress resolved to employ all means at its disposal to mobilize Nigerians to defend progressive recommendations made by the Committee to ensure genuine electoral reforms.