The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reaffirmed its resolve to launch a statewide strike and mass protests on August 2nd.
After a meeting on Tuesday, the NLC’s Central Working Committee (CWC) issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to reverse all perceived anti-people policies, including the recent increase in gas pump prices, or face an indefinite nationwide strike.
In a communique issued after the meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), Thursday in Abuja, NLC said that the unseriousness of the Federal Government towards the creation of frameworks to cushion the impact of its hike in the price of petrol was demonstrated not only in the quality of its representation in a meeting it called, but also, in their unpreparedness to deal with the issues as canvassed.
The NEC therefore, backed the CWC’s decision to go on strike.
The document was signed by the Congress’s President, Joseph Ajaero and General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja.
It reads, “NEC-in-session after exhaustively deliberating and reviewing the current socioeconomic situation confronting Nigerian workers and masses and the attendant mass sufferings and deprivation across the nation as a result of the unfortunate actions and policies of the current occupiers of the seat of government, arrived at the following conclusions in agreement with the Central Working Committee’s (CWC) earlier deduction that the government has shown disdain and contempt to the plight of Nigerians, shunning reasonable dialogue and refusing to take active measures to protect Nigerians. Instead it resorted to robbing the people to pay the rich despite the massive outcry across the nation.
“To this end, NEC-in-session applauds, re-affirms and supports all the decisions of the Central Working Committee Meeting of the 25th of July, 2023 viz:
“The immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld Salary of University lecturers and Workers and increase in VAT. 2.
“It therefore set up strategy committees across all the states urging all affiliates and State Councils including the civil society to come out beginning Wednesday, the 2nd of August, 2023 across the nation to protest the Government’s insensitivity to the plights of Nigerians.”