The organised labour on Tuesday threatened to start an indefinite strike should the Federal Government not agree to its demands at the end of a 21-day ultimatum that would expire in around one week, just one week after it led a two-day nationwide warning strike.
The workers union claimed that the planned strike was essential since the federal government had not offered relief for the problems that Nigerians were experiencing as a result of the loss of fuel subsidies.
The Nigeria Labour Congress warned that the possible start of strike action next week will result in an extended halt to all business and economic activity nationwide.
Mr. Christopher Onyeka, the National Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, claimed it was improper for the FG to distribute a bag of rice to a dozen Nigerians while supposedly providing each member of the National Assembly N100 million in palliative.
The union had given the FG a 21-day ultimatum on September 1 about the delay in the distribution of palliatives, stating that if its demands were not met, it might be forced to initiate an indefinite strike.
“We urge you to keep your steady commitment if the administration fails to respond to our demands in a suitable manner. The workers organisation wrote to the FG, “If we find ourselves compelled to go on an indefinite nationwide strike, the same passion and resolve that powered this warning strike will be important.
To show how serious it was, the NLC organised workers for a two-day warning strike on September 5 and 6. This partially halted social and economic activity in a number of states, with public access to select banks, ministries, agencies, and departments.
The NLC leadership had stated that the move was being taken in anticipation of a complete shutdown that would begin when the ultimatum expires the following week.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress demanded, among other things, salary awards, the adoption of palliatives, tax breaks and allowances for employees of the public sector, and a revision of the minimum wage.
The eight-week period set aside for the process’ completion lapsed in August with absolutely no activity taken, despite the FG’s pledge to reorganise the framework for dialogue with organised Labour on palliatives.
The committees had eight weeks to complete their work and speed the framework’s implementation to lessen the impact of the elimination of the fuel subsidy on Nigerians. However, even after the allotted time had passed, the subcommittees had not yet met or carried out their assigned tasks.
The Presidential Steering Committee and various subcommittees were established by President Bola Tinubu on June 19 in order to debate the framework that would be used for the adoption of palliatives.
