The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a two-day warning strike, beginning on Tuesday, September 5, in protest against the federal government for failing to address the challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
The NLC president, Joe Ajaero, made the declaration Friday during a press conference at the Labour House in Abuja, while speaking on the resolutions of its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting the previous day.
The labour union accused the federal government of abandoning the negotiations and failing to implement some of the resolutions from previous meetings with the government.
Recall that on August 2, organised labour protested against what it described as “anti-people policies” of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliate unions demonstrated in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and several states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.
Several meetings between the Presidency and the unions on the palliatives for Nigerians experiencing hardships in the wake of the petrol subsidy removal proved abortive.
Comrade Ajaero had in August 18 argued that the N5 billion approved for each state and the FCT to cushion the impact of subsidy removal was inadequate.
He said this while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, arguing that if calculated, the N5 billion would not amount to N1, 500 per person.
“The first increase in the pump price of petroleum products and the last one moved a lot of people from the borderline to a very high level of poverty.
“Now, if you calculate it, you will discover that this will not translate to N1, 500 per person and you ask: is that the impact? Is that really what we want to achieve? Let’s assume it’s a loan. What is really going to happen? Is it garbage in, garbage out?
“If it is N5 billion, I think organised labour would want anybody to do the calculation and tell us how it is going to impact Nigerians on what is happening currently. If it is a loan, then it is too bad,” he had said.
