The federal government of Nigeria has made an appeal to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to postpone its planned strike, set to begin next Wednesday.
The government assured the NLC that it is actively addressing the concerns raised by the labor movement regarding the removal of fuel subsidy.
The appeal comes in response to the strike notice served by the NLC, which set a 7-day ultimatum for the government to address what they view as anti-people policies or face industrial action.
During a Steering Committee meeting on Palliatives, Olu Verheijen, the leader of the government team and Special Adviser to the President on Energy, along with Kachollom Daju, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, pleaded with the NLC to grant the government more time to address their grievances rather than resorting to a strike.
However, Verheijen explained that the government is yet to implement palliatives, as it wants to proceed cautiously to avoid mistakes. She described the meeting with organized labor as productive and indicated that discussions would continue the following day.
Regarding the meeting’s agenda, Verheijen mentioned that it involved various stakeholders representing the interests of Nigerians, focusing on expediting interventions that would provide relief in areas such as compressed natural gas (CNG), mass transportation, cleaner energy, and transportation costs.
When asked if the NLC would proceed with the threatened strike, Verheijen stated that the labor unions would have the final say, but the government is making progress in addressing the issues to prevent a strike.
Meanwhile, The NLC, on the other hand, has directed its affiliates and state councils to mobilize workers and other Nigerians, including civil society allies, for a prolonged strike and mass protests if the government fails to meet their demands.
The demands made by the NLC in a communiqué include the immediate inauguration of the Presidential Steering Committee as agreed upon in earlier dialogues.
Nevertheless, they also demand the reversal of all anti-poor policies, such as the recent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), public school fees, and the release of withheld salaries of university lecturers and workers, as well as the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).
The NLC further resolved to establish a nationwide coalition of all Nigerians, calling on civil society organizations and citizens to mobilize and lead mass protest rallies across the nation to express outrage against the government’s actions and policies.
The NLC has set a seven-day ultimatum for the federal government to meet their demands and has scheduled a nationwide action to begin on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, to compel the government to reverse its anti-poor and anti-workers policies.
They have also called on their affiliates and state councils to mobilize and collaborate with other entities to ensure the government heeds the people’s voice.
