Ahead of coming Wednesday’s labour strike, the Nigeria Labour Congress has written all its 43 affiliate unions in mobilisation for the industrial action in protest against the removal of the fuel subsidy.
The new government had announced its decision to discontinue the fuel subsidy regime, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inaugural speech declaring the stance with finality.
Fuel scarcity that had built up days before Tinubu’s inauguration took a worse turn upon the pronouncement.
This was succeeded by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL’s
announcement of an increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit from the average N200 per litre to the neighborhood of N500.
A meeting between representatives of government and its NLC counterpart with the latter demanding for reversal yielded no fruit, and consequently the resolve to mobilise all its affiliates for the strike action to press home the demand.
To that end, NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja in a letter to the affiliates wrote, “We bring you greetings from the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress. You will recall that arising from the National Executive Council meeting held on 2nd June 2023, it was decided that Congress will embark on a nationwide action and withdrawal of services, against the fraudulent increase in the prices of fuel across the thirty-six states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the FCT.
“Please be informed that the nationwide action will commence on Wednesday, 7th June, 2023. To this effect, all National Leadership are expected to mobilise their members for the action and ensure full compliance with the directives as services in both the public and private sector are expected to be fully withdrawn by Wednesday, 7th June, 2023. All Presidents and General Secretaries are expected to help ensure the implementation of the decisions of the National Executive Council.”
