Workers’ Strike for Democracy Ends in Nigeria

Frustrated by lack of support from other Nigerians, thousands of oil workers returned to their jobs Monday and ended a two-month strike for democracy.

It was a victory for Gen. Sani Abacha’s military regime, which took a hard line against the strikers and other democracy activists despite the devastating effects of fuel shortages on the West African nation’s faltering economy.

The junta had arrested some leaders and forced others into hiding. Last week, it began easing fuel shortages by importing gasoline, hiring new workers for oil refineries and persuading some strikers to return to work.

Cars, buses and trucks jammed streets again Monday in Lagos, and black-market gasoline vendors disappeared from roadsides.

“We are fully back at work today,” said Diji Egwaoje, spokesman for Shell-Nigeria, which produces more than 50% of the oil in Africa’s most populous nation.

Oil accounts for 90% of the government’s revenues and 80% of Nigeria’s export earnings.

Even before oil union leaders met Monday, reports indicated nearly all of the 100,000 workers in the oil industry were back on the job.

The leaders did not issue a statement after the meeting. But Milton Dabibi, general secretary of one of the two oil unions, said, “We just finished the meeting, at which we decided to suspend our 8-week-old strike action.”

Dabibi said the strike could resume if the regime does not free more than a dozen jailed labor leaders, pay $36 million owed to international oil companies and protect oil workers from hostile communities. But the threat appeared toothless, merely repeating demands made when the strike began July 4.

Oil workers had demanded that Abacha surrender power to Moshood K.O. Abiola, the businessman believed to have won the annulled 1993 presidential election that was to end a decade of military rule.

Abiola was arrested June 23 and is awaiting trial on treason charges.