The Federal Government will today, Monday meet with the representatives of the organised labour in an effort to prevent the nationwide strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC).
However, the NLC has advised citizens to stock their homes with food items, medicines and other essential things ahead of the commencement of its seven-day strike to protest the removal of fuel subsidies and the escalating cost of living in the country.
The warning, it noted, had become necessary because the strike would cripple the country as movement would be severely curtailed as commercial transport operators would withdraw their services, while markets, schools and healthcare facilities would be forced to shut down.
The Assistant General-Secretary, NLC, Chris Onyeka, in an interview with newsmen, said that the citizens should also minimise their movements so as to avoid being stranded.
Recall that the NLC had given the government a seven-day ultimatum with threats of a nationwide strike scheduled to commence on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. Following the announcement of the strike by the NLC, the government team immediately called for an emergency meeting with the Organised Labour, comprising the NLC and Trade Union Congress, (TUC), with a follow-up meeting on Friday at the State House.
However, officials of the NLC angrily stormed out of the meeting following the alleged failure of the government team to show up. Onyeka noted that the labour team would meet with the government today, Monday, adding that the outcome of the meeting would determine the next step.
He said, Nigerians should be prepared. Thats what we are saying. Being prepared means you have to stock food in your house and be economical with your movement at this particular point in time so as to avoid being stranded. It is going to be a nationwide mass protest and we are sure that it will affect every corner of the country. We are seriously mobilising across the nation. We are currently at work at the secretariat alongside the CSOs”.
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers, (NUPENG) and the National Union of Electricity Employees, on Saturday, confirmed that they were mobilising their members to ground the supply of fuel and the national electricity grid from Wednesday in response to the planned mass protest called by the NLC.
The National Executive Council of the NLC had on Friday endorsed the August 2 nationwide strike and mass protests proposed by the body over the hike. However, the Federal Government had told the NLC that it was legally restrained from embarking on the planned nationwide strike due to the ruling of the National Industrial Court, which restrained organised labour from embarking on the strike.
The steering committee was set up by the Federal Government to draw up intervention plans to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.
