NLC, TUC Declare Indefinite Strike From October… | Details

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC of Nigeria have declared an indefinite strike starting from October 3.

At a press briefing held in Abuja on Tuesday, September 26, the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero and the TUC, Festus Osifo, advised Nigerians to stockpile foodstuffs because the strike would shut down economic activities in the country.

According to the communique read by the two Presidents, the indefinite strike is as a result of the alleged insensitivity of government to the plights of Nigerians as a result of the removal of petrol subsidy and continuous demonstration of unwillingness and complete lack of initiative to roll out palliatives.

The Trade Union Congress had earlier slammed the Federal Government, saying it is tired of its many unfulfilled promises.

According to Mr Osifo, the union is not happy over the refusal of the Ministry of Labour to implement the union’s demands.

TUC’s demands included wage awards for civil servants to cushion the hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal, tax exemption for some categories of workers, as well as setting up structures for the effective implementation of the palliatives from the federal government.

Simon Lalong, on the other hand, had previously assured Nigerian workers that the government would soon conclude the issue of wage award.

The minister also appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress not to embark on its planned indefinite strike, and allow government resolve all pending issues.

But in an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, Osifo said the union now wanted concrete actions. In his words:

“In the last meeting we had with the Ministry of Labour, they told us the same thing that the president was out of the country and when he comes back they believe that he will make the pronouncement.

“But I saw it this morning that he said the pronouncement will come soon but again we are really tired of soon, we want a definite pronouncement, we want definite solution to this lingering issues.

“At the end of the day, we have been hearing dates, we have been hearing it will come today, tomorrow or next tomorrow, we are relatively tired of promises, all we want is action.

“Nigerians are tired of lot of meetings, lots of promises, what we want is concrete action, so we are tired of promises and promises.”