The NLC announces a 48-hour strike over fuel subsidy removal.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a 48-hour strike, starting on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, to protest against the Federal Government for ignoring the problems caused by the elimination of fuel subsidies.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced the strike on Friday at a press briefing at the Labour House in Abuja while presenting the resolutions of the NLC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that took place the day before.

The labour union is accusing the federal government of abandoning the talks and failing to implement some of the agreements from previous meetings with the government.

On August 2, organised labour demonstrated against what they called the anti-people policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliate unions staged protests in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and several states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.

The protest followed a seven-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government demanding “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government, including the recent hike in PMS (premium motor spirit) price, increase in public school fees, and the release of the eight-month withheld salary of university lecturers and workers”.

President Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidies after his swearing-in on May 29 in Abuja. He said that the subsidy was unsustainable and that Nigerians would benefit from a deregulated downstream sector.

However, many Nigerians have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, saying that it has led to increased hardship and inflation. The removal of fuel subsidies has also resulted in frequent fuel scarcity and long queues at filling stations across the country.

The NLC said that the 48-hour strike is to send a clear message to the Federal Government that Nigerians are suffering and that they will not tolerate any further increase in fuel prices or other anti-poor policies.

The union said that it will review its strategy after the 48-hour strike and decide on further actions if the federal government fails to meet its demands.