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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that it will stage a two-day mass protest over the economic hardship and deteriorating security situation in the country.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made the announcement during a press briefing after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union at Labour House in Abuja on Friday, February 16, 2024.
The labour leader stressed that the protest will commence a week after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum it gave the Federal Government on February 8, 2024.
The ultimatum expires on February 23, meaning the planned days of the nationwide protest are the 27th and 28th of February.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) issued a two-week ultimatum to press the Federal Government to implement the agreements they struck last October to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal on petrol.
The agreements included wage awards, an increase in minimum wage, access to public utilities, and the provision of CNG buses for public transportation.
However, organised labour accused the Federal Government of failing to uphold these pledges meant to provide succour for the negative impact of reforms.
Ajaero warned the Federal Government not to disregard the deadline of the 14-day ultimatum.
Labour unions lamented the plight of millions of Nigerian workers amid the rising cost of food commodities, erosion of purchasing power and worsening insecurity, all offshoots of reforms that sent inflation spiralling.
The development followed President Bola Tinubu's decision to yank off the resource-draining fuel subsidy last May, coupled with his administration's liberalisation of the foreign exchange market.