Motion to Lambeth UNISON April 2025 Branch Committee

This union branch notes:

• The peaceful protests in August 2024 against increasing hunger, economic and social crisis in Nigeria and taking place under the #EndBadGovernance banner were met by brutal repression.
• The Nigerian government, headed by President Bola Tinubu, has pursued a policy of harassment and persecution of critics of its policies and the activists who mobilised under the #EndBadGovernance banner, and, increasingly, trade unions and their leaders.
• At least 1,400 peaceful protesters have been detained mostly without trial. A number of activists have been charged with “treason”, which carries the death penalty, including Adaramoye Michael, National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign, and Mosiu Sodiq, both in Abuja. The bail conditions offered are extremely difficult for any normal Nigerian to meet and in practice has simply extended their detention, Many others remain in detention without charge, such as Daniel Akande, also in Abuja.
• The Nigerian Labour Congress trade union federation, and its president Joe Ajaero, have faced continual harassment and trumped-up charges, including “terrorism financing”, and was prevented by the Nigerian secret service from attending the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference in September 2024.
• In August the British TUC called for:
  • The End of criminalisation of peaceful protest and end harassment of government opponents
  • Immediate, and unconditionally, release all those held in connection with the protests

This union branch supports these demands of the British TUC and believes:

• The Tinubu government is attacking democratic rights, including the right to protest, freedom of assembly and workers’ right to organise.
• That the detained and charged activists are political prisoners.
• There needs to be a strong response from the international labour and workers movement making clear its solidarity with all Nigerians struggling to improve their living conditions and coming to the defence of persecuted activists and trade unionists.
• The Tinubu government must drop all charges and release all political prisoners immediately and end its campaign of harassment against the NLC and its leaders and activists.
• An independent and accountable enquiry into the killings of protesters and that their murderers, including in the state forces, are prosecuted

This union branch agrees to:

1. Promote, mobilise and if possible organise local protests and photos in solidarity with the Nigerian struggle and the defence of Nigerian activists and trade unionists. Sharing any pictures to contact@nigeriasolidarity.com
2. Post a solidarity message on social media and send a letter to the Nigerian High Commissions and embassies demanding the immediate dropping of charges and release of prisoners and for an end to the campaign of harassment against the Nigerian workers movement. (Sending copies of all protests to the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights campaignworkers@yahoo.co.uk, the Youth Rights Campaign yrccampaigns@gmail.com and Nigeria Solidarity contact@nigeriasolidarity.com)
3. Make a donation to The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) via Crowd Funder site: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/cdwr
4. Share information about the campaign with our members and in the wider Labour and workers’ movement, encouraging other structures and organisations to take the same action that we have.

Proposed: Andy Tullis – Convenor Children’s Services

Seconded: Simon Hannah