The Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC) has embarked on a two-day Sit-At-Home warning strike in protest against the Federal Government’s failure to address the challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.
This comes days after the declaration by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, last Friday.
President Bola Tinubu announced in his inaugural speech on May 29 that “fuel subsidy is gone“, which has since led to fuel prices as much as tripling nationwide and a rising cost of living.
On August 2, organised labour protested what it described as the anti-people policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
It accused the Federal Government of insincerity, lack of commitment to negotiations and faiure to implement some of the resolutions from previous meetings with the government.
Many affiliate unions of NLC including Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-teaching staff of Universities, National Union of Banks, and Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), and Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), had joined the warning strike.
Earlier NUBIFIE, directed a total shutdown of the financial sector for two days starting from Tuesday, September 5.
Speaking on Tuesday on AIT, the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, blamed the Federal Government’s insincerity and lack of clear direction on how to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal, for the strike.
Ajaero said the strike is not a street protest but a Sit-At-Home order by members of the Union.
He berated the Federal Government for misrepresentation of facts. According to Ajaero, “it was NLC that called for warning strike, not TUC. The TUC is not part of the warning strike”.
Ajaero urged the media to inform the public rightly rather than creating the notion that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) opted out of the two-day warning strike.
The NLC said the strike would affect all sectors of the economy, including banking, transportation, and manufacturing.
Meanwhile, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has shut down all the nation’s seaport in compliance with the warning strike.
President-General of the MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, said all the ports across the country are currently not operating due to the strike.
“We have complied with the NLC strike action to embark on strike, and it is total. As I am talking to you, no cargo evacuation process is taking place at all the ports in the country.
“The two busiest ports of Apapa and Tin-Can have been shut down. Lekki Port is shut down. Onne, Warri, Calabar ports are under lock and key.
“Nothing is happening at these ports due to the strike. We are a member of the NLC and have complied fully to the strike directive”, he said.
In a related development, Members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), have joined the warning strike.
Speaking with newsmen in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Vice President (West), NUEE, Comrade Sodiq Adewale, said members of his union being an affiliate of NLC complied with the directive to down tools.
“We are part of the strike and we are critical stakeholders as far as NLC is concerned.
“Presently, in compliance with the NLC directive, we are mandated to embark on a warning strike which started today and will continue tomorrow. As you can see, the whole place is under lock. Nobody is coming in and as time goes on, we are going to be reviewing our activities at the level of our actions.
“So far from our end, we have total compliance. Nobody is saying there is going to be a disruption of power, but our men are out. We are not tampering with anything.
“Generally, look at the economy. We are talking about palliatives, it has to be fast. How long will it take the process to be implemented? They have to fast-track whatever processes they are working on to alleviate the suffering of the masses”, he said.
