The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday jointly declared what they call an indefinite, total nationwide strike beginning from Tuesday, October 3.
The unions took the decision after an NLC, TUC joint National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, after which they directed their affiliates to mobilise for protests.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, at a news conference, said the government has “substantially failed to meet its demands after the removal of fuel subsidy.”
On September 5th and 6th, the NLC had embarked on a two-day warning strike which led to the partial crippling of economic activities in some states.
It gave the government a 21-day ultimatum to meet its demands, although the TUC was not part of the warning strike.
On Tuesday, Ajaero said the grace period given by the two labour centres had expired, and urged Nigerians to stock their homes ahead of the planned nationwide strike.
The organised labour is demanding a new minimum wage in the aftermath of he subsidy removal.
The other demands made by the organized labour to cushion the effects of the May 29 subsidy removal are tax exemptions and allowances to public sector workers, provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, the release of modalities for the N70 billion for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the Federal Government.
It also wants a stop to the increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salaries of university teachers and workers as well as the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT).
