Organized labour in Nigeria has given the President Bola Tinubu administration a seven-day ultimatum to conclude the negotiations with its leadership or face industrial action over the removal of petrol subsidy.
The National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Hakeem Ambali, in an interview with newsmen today, July 26, said that workers would go full blast on a nationwide strike from August 2 if the government fails to conclude the negotiations with labour.
“Yes. We, members of the Central Working Committee issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government yesterday, to conclude all negotiations with labour or face industrial action.”
The federal government had in June, gone to court to procure an order barring the NLC from going on strike following the removal of the subsidy.
The government had since set up a committee to liaise with the organized labour; the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the NLC, but labour has accused the government of failing to engage it in a dialogue.
NLC leadership said it could no longer fold its arms and watch Nigerians, particularly workers, suffer the effects of subsidy removal which has brought dire hunger and poverty in the country.
The union warned: “failure of the government to meet the ultimatum will lead to a nationwide strike.”
