The Nigeria Labour Congess (NLC) has declared a nationwide strike from next Wednesday.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made the announcement after an emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja.
The congress said it took the decision due to the fuel shortages across the country, following President Bola Tinubu’s inaugural speech in which he pronounced the removal of subsidy.
Tinubu disclosed that with the 2023 budget made no provision for fuel subsidy, hence payment was no longer justifiable.
He said the government would instead channel funds into infrastructure and other areas to strengthen the economy.
However, the president’s pronouncement led to scarcity and long fuel queues across the country.
Currently, petrol prices have jumped to more than N500 per litre.
Ajaero stated that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has up until Wednesday next week to revert to the old price of petrol.
He added that failure of the Federal Government to meet the ultimatum would attract an indefinite protest across the country.
On Wednesday, an hour-long meeting between the Federal Government and the NLC on the matter ended in a deadlock.
The NLC demanded that the Federal Government return to status quo by reversing the price of fuel before resuming negotiations with labour.
Ajaero insisted that the government did not enter into any conversation even on palliative measures for Nigerians, hence the reason an industrial action has been scheduled to commence next Wednesday.
Guardian
