By Daniel Edu
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has officially declared a two-day warning strike set to commence on Tuesday, September 5, to express their dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s handling of the challenges arising from the removal of fuel subsidies.
During a press conference held at the Labour House in Abuja, NLC President Joe Ajaero announced the strike on Friday. This decision came following discussions and resolutions reached by the NLC National Executive Committee (NEC) during their previous meeting.
The labor union has accused the Federal Government of neglecting ongoing negotiations and failing to implement resolutions from prior engagements with the government.
On August 2, organized labor staged a protest against what they perceived as anti-people policies under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), along with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliated unions, organized demonstrations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and various states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.
These protests followed a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government, demanding the “immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies, including the recent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), the rise in public school fees, and the release of eight months’ withheld salaries for university lecturers and workers.”
The union also called for an upward adjustment of the minimum wage, from N30,000 to N200,000, citing the impact of the removal of the fuel subsidy on the well-being of Nigerians, as stated in the President’s May 29, 2023, inauguration speech, where he mentioned the end of subsidies.
Despite multiple discussions between the Presidency and the unions regarding measures to alleviate the hardship faced by Nigerians following the removal of petrol subsidies, no concrete solutions have emerged.
