Organised labour under the aegis of the Nigerian Labour Congress, and Trade Union Congress have declared a nationwide strike from October 3, 2023.
The two unions gave the strike notice in a communique jointly signed at the Labour House, Abuja on Tuesday by Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, of the NLC and TUC respectively.
The labour leaders have therefore urged Nigerians to stock their homes with food and other necessities in preparation for the strike.
According to them, the strike becomes imperative to call the attention of the federal government to the suffering of their members and Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy in May this year.
Their members are suffering, they said, citing the unwillingness on the part of the government to ameliorate the situation.
Recall that the NLC had earlier in the month embarked on two-day warning strike to press home their demands, but the TUC did not join the strike.
A major demand of the unions is the increment of salary and wages of their members.
The federal government said during the week that a new wage package will soon be announced by President Tinubu.
The workers seem not to be satisfied with the promise.
According to the communiqué: “NLC and TUC in their various meetings deeply analyzed the current situation in the country, taking into cognizance the extensive hardships and deprivation afflicting our citizens across all states of the federation and unanimously condemned the apparent conscious lethargy and tardiness in handling the consequences of its Petrol Price hike on Nigerians.
‘No meaningful dialogue’
“The councils deliberated on the continued refusal of the Federal Government to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue within the ambit of good faith given the 21 days ultimatum and the subsequent successful two-day nationwide warning strike of the 5th and 6th of September and other meetings that were supposed to demonstrate the preparedness of Nigerian workers to push through their decision to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike if their demands were not met.”
The communiqué explained that “the NLC and TUC NEC-in-session observed that there is no disagreement between labour and government on the existence of massive suffering, impoverishment and hunger in the country as a result of the hike in the price of petrol which demands an urgent need for remedial action.
“The government has totally abdicated this responsibility and has shown gross unwillingness to act, abandoning Nigerian people and workers to excruciating poverty and affliction.
“The Federal Government has continued to grandstand and forestall all avenues to peaceful dialogue with organized labour on ways to save Nigerians from the huge hunger and suffering experienced across the nation as a result of the unconscionable hike in the price of petrol (PMS) by the government.
“The government has continued to demonstrate not just an unwillingness to mitigate the massive hardship in the country but also a complete lack of intention to take positive steps and empathy for the multi-dimensionally impoverished citizens of Nigeria.
“The Federal Government has, therefore, not met in any substantial way, the demands of Nigerian workers and peoples as previously canvassed in our mutually agreed roadmap to salvaging the economy and protecting workers and Nigerians from the monumental hardship.
“The grace period given by the two labour centres have expired,” the union said.
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