NIGERIAN oil workers called off their eight-week pro-democracy strike on September 6 as repressive measures taken by the military dictator General Sani Abacha and popular suffering wore them down.
The strike had been prompted by the June arrest of millionaire businessman Moshood Abiola, widely thought to be the winner of the 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the military.
Abacha has been under foreign and local pressure to rein-in protests which cut oil production, Nigeria's main economic activity, by one third. The strike paralysed life across much of the south west, although its effects were felt everywhere.
On August 17, Abacha dissolved the executives of the two oil workers' unions, Nupeng and Pangassan, and for good measure that of the Nigerian Labour Congress, appointing state administrators in their place.
The arrest and detention of leading strike activists like Nupeng general secretary Frank Kokori, and the difficulties faced by strikers' families, contributed to the drift back to work.
It was the poor who bore the brunt of the strike as the authorities channelled oil abroad to satisfy foreign creditors, while rationing it within the country.
Prices of basic foodstuffs and necessities like beans, bread and kerosene shot up -as much as 70 per cent in the case of bread.
Fare increases
Millions were unable to travel to work as bus fares rose by 150 per cent in Lagos and 300 per cent in Ibadan, to make up for the cost of petrol. This closed factories, banks and government departments.
Two problems weakened the strike and have had an adverse effect on the course of the mass movement. The oil workers' actions were isolated from the rest of the labour movement and betrayed by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) leadership.
A general strike in August was suspended by the NLC after two days, in return for negotiations with the military authorities. The rotten deal arrived at included the release of Abiola, in return for not involving himself in politics for the rest of his life.
This would have left unchallenged the military hold on power and removed from the scene the most popular political figure. Abiola refused, but the opportunist NLC leadership meekly abandoned any threat of strike action, and with it the oil workers.
The second problem is the political leadership of the democracy movement.
The National Democratic Coalition (Nadeco) is composed of ex-generals, old guard civilian politicians and big business people.
They would like Abiola, a member of their class, released because his policies don't threaten their power and wealth - unlike a popular upsurge from below.
General Abacha followed up his clampdown on the workers' movement with new, draconian, military decrees. Hundreds have been detained over the last year and may now be imprisoned without trial.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 69, September 24 1994, Page 12