By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared this Wednesday as a day for commencement of a nationwide strike.
This follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inaugural speech declaring that “fuel subsidy is gone” and the fuel shortages and hike in prices across the country.
Following a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja over the fuel subsidy removal and subsequent hike in the pump price of petrol on Friday, the union announced the industrial action.
All Presidents, General Secretaries, Treasurers of all NLC’s affiliate unions; State Chairpersons and Secretaries of the NLC State Councils, Chairperson of the NLC Youth Committee and members of the National Administrative Council (NAC) comprises the NEC.
On Wednesday, the meeting between the federal government and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over fuel subsidy removal ended without a consensus which began around 4pm on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Federal Government’s representatives included Dele Alake, the spokesperson for Tinubu; and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole were other government officials present at the meeting.
Represented by the organised Labour were NLC National President, Joe Ajaero; and the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Festus Osifo.
The NLC had demanded that the Federal Government return to the status quo by reversing the price of fuel before resuming negotiations with the NLC during its meeting with the Federal government that lasted several hours.
Joe Ajaero, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, blasted the removal of subsidy saying that the status quo returns before any formal engagement with the NLC to protect the Nigerian workforce and proffer additional solutions.
According to NLC, the Federal Government did not enter into any conversation even on palliative measures for Nigerians, resulting to the rejection of the latest announcement.
