Chiroma's tenure began at the onset of a change in government from a democratic administration that was ended by a military coup in December 1983.
He had the difficult task of managing the union while austerity measures provided reason for workers to be sacked without adherence to disengagement rules and wages were frozen by the new military administration.
[4] As head of the central working committee of NLC, he was also involved in protest concerning changes in minimum wage regulations and acceptance of IMF loan terms.
NLC developed a consistent campaign against the amendment with threats of a national strike which led the proposal to be shelved.
[4] The adoption of a structural adjustment programme (SAP) by President Babangida which favored market forces meant subsidies for fuel consumption was likely to be removed.