Workers across Nigeria would embark on an indefinite and total shutdown of the nation on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
This is contained in a communique issued at the end of the National Executive Council meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress,(NLC ) and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, held on Tuesday and made available to NIM.
The communique jointly signed by the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Festus Osifo, said the NLC and TUC NEC-in-Session resolved to direct all affiliates and state councils to immediately start mobilizing accordingly for action, to organize street protests and rallies until Government responds positively to their demands.
According to the communique, the Nec-in session also directed all workers in Nigeria to withdraw their services from their respective workplaces commencing from the 3rd of October, and enjoined all patriotic Nigerians to join hands across the nation to assist government to put the people back at the centre of its policies and programmes.
The NLC and TUC leaders, at the meeting said the move was for workers to take their destinies in their hands and rescue the country, in demonstration of their resolve for a truly Independent Nigeria, in the spirit of the Independence’s Day celebration.
The NEC in session observed that there is no disagreement between Labour and Government on the existence of massive suffering, impoverishment and hunger in the country as a result of the hike in the price of Petrol which demands. an urgent need for remedial action,
It also observed that Government has abdicated the responsibility and is unwilling to act, abandoning Nigerians and workers to excruciating poverty and affliction.
The communique said Nec -in-session noticed that the federal government has continued to grandstand and forestall all avenues to peaceful dialogue with organized labour on ways to save Nigerians from the hunger and suffering experienced across the nation as a result of the unconscionable hike in the price of Petrol (PMS) by the Government, and has shown it has no intention to take positive steps and empathy for the multi-dimensionally impoverished citizens of Nigeria.
” The federal Government has therefore not met in any substantial way, the demands of Nigerian workers and peoples as previously canvassed in our mutually agreed roadmap to salvaging the economy and protecting workers and Nigerians from the monumental hardship, the grace period given by the two labour centres having expired” it read.
It pointed out that Trade unions continued to face severe threat from the State through suppressive power of the Police and Government, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) continued to be illegally occupied by the Government through the Police who have cloned the leadership of NURTW, while the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) continued to be illegally occupied by the Lagos state government in total disregard to the Courts and the statutes
The NLC and TUC NEC-in-session noted that the State within the life of the ultimatum via the Police, had caused loss of lives and properties with untold injuries on Nigerian workers who were on their way to go back to their Union’s national Headquarters in Abuja, while the State has continued to blackmail and sponsor campaign of calumny against trade union leaders in the social media, using its buying and coercive powers, instead of making efforts to lift the burden on the masses.
NIM