Victor EzejaThe Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its nationwide protest against economic hardship in the country.
This was contained in a communique released on Tuesday night after NLC National Executive Council meeting to review the outcome of the nationwide protest.
The NLC two-day nationwide protest started on Tuesday, 27 February and was to continue on Wednesday, 28 February before it was suspended.
According the communique signed NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and Acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello, the Labour union said the objectives of the protest were achieved on the first day of the demonstration.
Part of the communique read: “NEC-in-session resolved as follows: to suspend street action for the second day of the Protest having achieved overwhelming success thus attained the key objectives of the 2-day protest on the first day.”
The protest is against economic hardship, surging inflation, forex crisis, high cost of food and high cost of living caused by the petrol subsidy removal done in May 2023 at the onset of President Bola Tinubu administration.
NLC and other labour unions had in October 2023 reached an agreement with the Federal Government to increase wages, rollout CNG buses to ease transportation cost, amongst other demands aimed at cushioning the effect of petrol subsidy removal.
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Two months after, the labour unions lamented that the government was yet to fulfil any of the promises it made and after a joint meeting of NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) NEC last month gave the government a 14-day ultimatum to implement the demands, especially the short-term ones.
NLC subsequently proposed a street protest nationwide which TUC declined to join.
Federal government reportedly held a meeting with organised labour on Monday which ended in stalemate and Labour embarked on the protest nationwide.
NLC said in the communique that there will be press conferences held simultaneously across all the states of the federation by the state Councils of the Congress including the National Headquarters on Wednesday.
The labour union said it has extended ultimatum which expires on the 13th day of March, 2024 within which the Government is expected to implement all the earlier agreement of the 2nd day of October, 2023 and other demands presented in their letter during Tuesday’s nationwide protest.
It said they will meet again and “decide on further lines of action if on the expiration of the 14 days, Government refuses to comply with the demands as contained in the ultimatum.
It thanked all NLC members for coming out to participate in the Protest, adding that it is committed to continue “defending and promoting the interests and desires of Nigerian workers and the downtrodden masses.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
