Nigeria Labour Congress Declares Two-Day Warning Strike Over Fuel Subsidy Removal Fallout
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has taken a stand against the Federal Government’s handling of the challenges arising from the removal of fuel subsidies by declaring a two-day warning strike starting on Tuesday, September 5.
Nigeria Labour Congress Declares Two-Day Warning Strike NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced this decision during a press conference at the Labour House in Abuja following the resolutions made during the NLC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held the previous day.
The labor union is accusing the government of neglecting negotiations and failing to implement resolutions agreed upon in previous meetings.
In August, organized labor staged protests against what they perceived as anti-people policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The protests took place in various states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo, in addition to the Federal Capital Territory.
The demonstrators demanded the immediate reversal of what they considered anti-poor policies, including the recent hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), the release of eight months’ withheld salaries of university lecturers and workers, and an increase in the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000.
Despite several meetings between the Presidency and the unions to address the challenges posed by the removal of the fuel subsidy, a resolution has yet to be reached.
Last month, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed concern that the approved N5 billion for each state and the FCT to mitigate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal would not significantly benefit the people. He pointed out that when calculated, this amount would equate to less than N1,500 per person, raising questions about the effectiveness of such financial aid in alleviating the suffering caused by the subsidy removal. For more news follow thedailycourierng