Subsidy Removal: NLC Declares Fresh Two-Day Warning Strike

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC) has declared a fresh 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.

This is coming almost a month after organised protests against the “anti-people” policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, which were later called off.

Organised Labour — 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.

The demonstrations followed a seven-day ultimatum issued to the central government demanding “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers.”

The labour unions also demanded an upward review of the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000. They said since the President said that “subsidy is gone” during his inauguration speech of May 29, 2023, “the peace of mind of Nigerians has gone.”

Several meetings between the Presidency and the unions on palliatives for Nigerians suffering hardship in the wake of the petrol subsidy removal proved abortive.

Recall that President Tinubu, on July 31, announced palliative measures to cushion the biting effect of petrol subsidy removal on Nigerians.

The NLC, in a scathing response, said the programmes to be rolled out by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government were totally out of touch with economic realities and hardships currently being faced by poor citizens.

The statement signed by NLC President, Mr Joe Ajaero, said, “The promises and assurances made by President Tinubu are not the silver bullet that Nigerians expected.”

“The speech indeed appears to be out of touch with reality and anomalous with the hardship and suffering that most Nigerians are going through now,” the NLC leader said.

The NLC said President Tinubu was expected to tell Nigerians his plans to resuscitate public refineries, which have been lying comatose for so many years but he was completely silent on the issue.