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| NLC Defies Government, Proceeds with Nationwide Strike and Protest over Economic Woes |
The NLC also wants the government to vacate the illegally occupied national headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), one of its affiliates, which has been under siege by some thugs allegedly sponsored by the government.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the umbrella body of workers’ unions in the country, has rejected the Federal Government’s appeal to call off its planned two-day warning strike and protest over the rising cost of living and inflation. The NLC said it will go ahead with its activities on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 27 and 28, 2024, despite the last-minute meeting with the government officials on Monday night.
The meeting, which was held at the State House in Abuja, was chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and attended by ministers of various sectors, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, the Director General of State Services (DGSS), and the leaders of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the sister body of the NLC.
However, the meeting ended in a deadlock, as the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, insisted that the workers have the right to express their grievances and demand for better living conditions. He said the security agencies have the constitutional duty to protect the peaceful protesters and ensure their safety.
He said: “The strike and protest will go on as planned. We are not doing this for fun. We have legitimate demands that we want the government and the National Assembly to address. We will present these demands to them on Tuesday and make them public for everyone to see”.
The NLC demands include an increase in the minimum wage, which is currently below $1, a reversal of the subsidy removal on petrol, which has led to higher fuel prices and transport fares, and a provision of palliatives to cushion the effects of the economic crisis on the workers and the citizens.
The NLC also wants the government to vacate the illegally occupied national headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), one of its affiliates, which has been under siege by some thugs allegedly sponsored by the government.
The NLC has mobilised its 52 affiliates, including those in the critical sectors of the economy such as electricity, petroleum, telecommunications, banking, aviation, maritime, and manufacturing, to participate in the nationwide strike and protest, which is expected to paralyse the economic activities and put more pressure on the government to meet the workers’ demands.
