Mariam Adebukola 
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has begun its planned two-day warning strike to protest the Federal Government’s refusal to address the problems brought on by the removal of fuel subsidy.
New Telegraph had earlier reported that the NLC President, Joe Ajaero on Friday announced a two-day warning strike scheduled to start today, Wednesday.
Ajaero made the decision of the labour union known after the conclusion of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting earlier on September 1.
On Wednesday, the labour union in Edo State blocked the entrance of the tribunal, grounding activities at the court premises in protest following the earlier directives by the leadership of the NLC.
It was learned that the blockade forced the National Assembly and state House of Assembly election petition tribunals, which had originally planned today for judgements in two cases, to postpone until Thursday.
It was reported on Monday that the Federal Workers Forum (FWF) had vowed to shut down Federal Secretariats across the country ahead of the NLC two-day warning strike.
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The National Coordinator of FWF and former Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Oyo State Chapter, Andrew Emelieze, disclosed this in a statement released on Monday.
The statement read, “We at the Federal Workers Forum are in full support of the call by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for a two-day national warning strike from Tuesday 5th to 6th September 2023 over issues of government insensitivity to the plight of workers and the citizenry at large.
As federal workers, we are also severely affected by the economic crisis visited on Nigerians as a result of the hike in the pump price of petrol, all in the name of subsidy removal.
“We had earlier written to the federal government to adjust our wages automatically in line with the existing economic realities, but that has fallen on deaf ears.”
Recall that on August 2, organised labour had a similar protest against what it described as the anti-people policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and various states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo, saw protests by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their member unions.
The protest followed a seven-day ultimatum issued 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, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers.”
The union also demanded an upward review of the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000, saying that since the President’s “subsidy is gone” inauguration speech of May 29, 2023, the peace of mind of Nigerians has gone.
