NLC begins 2-day warning strike to protest against hardship caused by subsidy removal

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has begun its two-day warning strike to protest against the hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.

On Friday, September 1, 2023, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, declared that the union would embark on a warning strike from Tuesday, September 5, 2023, if the FG failed to address the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

Recall that on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu in his inauguration speech declared that fuel “subsidy is gone.”

The declaration immediately led to astronomical increases in the prices of petroleum and other commodities across the country. 

Since then, the labour union and the Federal Government have held a series of meetings to discuss the economic challenges confronting Nigerians and provide solutions to the problems.

But the meetings have not produced any positive outcomes as the NLC accused the government of abandoning the negotiations and failing to implement some of the solutions it suggested.

As a result, the labour unions including the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliate unions staged a protest across the country against the policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu in August.

Following the protest, the labour unions issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal 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 union also demanded an upward review of the minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦200,000.