While still determined to carry out its two-day warning strike, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has snubbed a meeting hosted by the federal government to avert the strike action, News About Nigeria reports,
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, called the meeting to prevent the organised labour’s planned two-day warning strike.
According to the Daily Trust Newspaper, only the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), led by its President, Festus Osifo, attended the meeting, which was supposed to begin at 3 p.m. on Monday, September 4.
In response to the current hardships being faced by Nigerians, the NLC announced on Friday, September 1, that workers around the nation should begin a two-day warning strike on Tuesday, September 5.
The strike is being held in opposition to the government’s proposed increases in the price of petrol at the pump and the cost of electricity.
If the government does not change its mind, the NLC also threatened to start a complete shutdown of the nation in 21 days.
Recall that at his inauguration as President of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu declared the immediate removal of fuel subsidy, causing the price of fuel to rise from around N189 to N489 per litre. However, the price of fuel at the pump has risen to nearly N600 per litre.
The development had exacerbated Nigerians’ economic predicament, with firms cutting operating hours to offset the impact of rising transport costs caused by the elimination of fuel subsidy.
In August, NLC embarked on a warning strike over the current economic situation.
