The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to go on a “total” strike starting on August 14, 2023, if the federal government does not remove the court summons for Congress by August 11, 2023, at the latest.
By serving a summons on the leadership of the NLC and TUC to answer to contempt of court charges despite the provisions of the constitution to the contrary and the objective realities, the federal ministry of Justice, according to Congress, “has continued to allow itself to be used as a vehicle to truncate the dominance of the tenets of democracy and muzzle/silence the voices of Nigerian workers.”
The NLC’s President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, signed a communique on Thursday in Abuja that included the resolutions adopted at the conclusion of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
While carefully monitoring the National Assembly’s and President’s commitment to addressing the concerns surrounding the increase in petroleum prices as agreed on or by August 19th, 2023, the NEC also decided to postpone its statewide mass protest at the time.
A portion of the communiqué says, “To embark on total strike across the country any day labour leaders are summoned to Court by the government through the NICN.
“Labour leaders are being called by the government to court every day to threaten a nationwide total strike.”
“To demand that this litigious terrorism be immediately withdrawn by the Federal Ministry of Justice before the close of business on Friday, August 11, 2023.”
If the summons issued by the contemptuous court is not removed by the person who issued it, the nation will go on a general strike starting on August 14th, 2023.
The National Economic Council (NEC) in session praised the well-organized protest on Wednesday where Nigerians could “express their outrage over the enormous suffering and impoverishment pervading the landscape” and said that during the private meeting between President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and leaders of Congress and TUC, specific agreements were made.
“The President personally pledged to take the following actions: Committed to a rapid reorganisation of the framework for addressing the implications of the PMS price hike in line with the input of the Labour leaders
The guarantee that Portharcourt Refinery would start producing by December of this year. the promise to make sure a wage agreement is reached
