The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will begin a warning strike on Tuesday, September 5, that will terminate on Wednesday, September 6.
The warning strike is a prelude to a total shutdown that will commence in 21 days.
President of NLC, Joe Ajaero made this known in Abuja on Friday.
He warned that the union would mobilise its affiliates to embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government fails to take steps to address the excruciating pains Nigerians face at the moment.
According to the NLC President, the union arrived at the decision after a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in the nation’s capital.
A copy of the communique of the meeting signed by Ajaero and NLC Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, said the union decided to embark on the strike following the Tinubu government’s failure to dialogue and engage the organised labour on efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on petrol on the “poor masses”.
The union lamented that the masses were going through pains following the removal of fuel subsidy, lamenting that there is nothing tangible to ameliorate the suffering of the masses.
Listing other reasons why it would mobilise its members for the nationwide shutdown, the NLC accused the Nigeria Police Force of laying siege to the national headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), alleged exploitation of the rights of workers in Imo State, interference in trade union matters by the Abia State Government, proposed demolition by the new Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, among others.
The NLC said its NEC resolved, “To embark on a total and indefinite shutdown of the nation within 14 working days or 21 days from today until steps are taken by the government to address the excruciating mass suffering and impoverishment being experienced around the country.
“To commence a two-day nationwide warning strike on Tuesday & Wednesday the 5th & 6th of September, 2023 to demonstrate our readiness for the indefinite strike later in the month and to also demand that the state vacates the illegally occupied National Headquarters of the National Union of Road Transport Workers;
“To embark on a mass protest and rally in Imo State within this month of September 2023 in preparation for a major shutdown of the state to compel the state government to stop the abuse and violation of the rights and privileges of workers and trade unions in the state;
“To begin the shutdown of the operations of Airpeace Airline and other companies in the aviation sector that are involved in serial violation of the rights of workers in the sector to freedom of association and to collectively bargain and organise;
“To call on communities around the nation to stop taking the law into their own hands but report to the authorities for amicable resolution any matter involving members of the Amalgamated Union of Food Stuffs and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria which is one of our affiliates;
“To demand that the new Minister of the Federal Capital Territory desists from threatening poor masses in the FCT with demolition of their properties built from their years of toil but should focus more on making houses available to the people. He is not a Minister of Demolition and should be prepared to meet Nigerian workers and citizens on the street if he carries out his insensitive utterances.”
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