The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a two-day nationwide mass protest for Wednesday February 27 and Thursday February 28, 2024.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced the dates of the two-day mass protests at Labour House, Abuja.
On Thursday February 8, the NLC and its sister body, Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Thursday issued the federal government a two weeks ultimatum to commence the implementation of policies that will reduce the impact of the government’s adverse economic policies on citizens.
The two policies of removal of fuel subsidy and devaluation of the Naira has led to astronomical increase in the prices of goods and services across the country coupled with the rising insecurity across the country.
The NLC and TUC said in a joint statement that they are concerned about the “non-implementation of the 16-point agreement reached with the Federal Government on October 2, 2023. These agreements which were reached with the federal government were focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socioeconomic consequences of the ill-conceived and ill-executed IMF/World Bank induced hike in the price of PMS and the Devaluation of the Naira.
On Monday, leaders of both NLC and TUC insisted that they would embark on strike even as they warned the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Nigerian government.
At a meeting between the labour leaders and officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, headed by the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, on Monday, the labour leaders had said only the government could stop the planned strike by addressing the 15-point agreement reached on October 2, 2023.
One of the labour leaders at the meeting had said that though the minister pleaded with the labour leaders to shelve the planned strike, stressing that the federal government was already addressing labour demands, the labour leaders were adamant.
“We categorically told the Minister and her team that our ultimatum stands. We were emphatic that only the government can stop the strike by honouring the agreement we reached on October 2, 2023.
“We cannot say the meeting was a deadlock because it has opened avenue for discussion. If the government had been opened to discussions, probably, we would not have issued the strike notice. As it is, we are not going back on the ultimatum, not with the mass suffering and poverty across the country. Well, the responsibility lies with government,” he had said.
