Lagos, Abuja, and the Rivers only partially comply with NLC strike

The NLC issued the warning strike in retaliation for what it claimed was the Federal Government’s failure to address the problems brought on by the elimination of gasoline subsidies.

Workers in several regions of the nation, including Lagos State, Rivers State, and Abuja, partially complied with the two-day warning strike of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday.

Lagos residents who experienced hardship as a result of President Bola Tinubu’s elimination of fuel subsidy expressed their dissatisfaction.

Ikeja Electric employees were shut out of their workplaces as some union members manned the gate to turn customers away.

However, the Lagos State Secretariat employees were observed going about their daily business despite the industrial action order.

The doors to the banks were also open for business, and customers could be seen coming and going from the buildings.

The Federal Secretariat in Abuja’s block housing the Federal Ministry of Education was briefly locked before being unlocked to allow employees to resume their work.

Workers continued to enter the secretariat’s other open blocks when they entered for work in the meantime.

However, compared to other workdays, there is a noticeably low labour turnout.

Similar circumstances existed at the Rivers State Secretariat, when some civil servants might be spotted there.

After Subsidy Removal, Life
In his inaugural address on May 29, President Bola Tinubu declared that “fuel subsidy is gone,” causing fuel prices nationally to more than triple and the cost of living to increase.

Last Friday, the NLC announced the warning strike in protest of the Federal Government’s refusal to address the issues brought on by the elimination of gasoline subsidies.

The Federal Government is being accused by the workers union of giving up on the negotiations and not carrying out some of the decisions made at earlier sessions with the government.

On August 2, organised labour demonstrated against what it deemed to be President Bola Tinubu’s “anti-people” policies.

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and numerous states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo, the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their member unions held protests.

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 and the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers” led to the protest.

The union also called for an increase in the minimum salary from N30,000 to N200,000, claiming that since the President’s “subsidy is gone” inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, Nigerians have lost their sense of security.