The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed public sector
workers in the country to embark on strike.
The strike is billed to commence on Wednesday next week.
Joe Ajaero, the NLC president, gave the directive at a media
briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
He also directed that affiliate unions constituting the NLC
should be on standby for picketing exercises across all branches of the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN) nationwide.
Last week, the NLC issued a seven-day ultimatum to the
federal government to end the petrol and cash scarcity being experienced in the
country.
Speaking with journalists, Ajaero said the industrial action
became the last resolve of the NLC following the expiration of the ultimatum.
He said the decision to picket CBN branches became necessary
as the federal government and the CBN have failed to show any commitment to
addressing the situation.
Ajaero lamented that despite the supreme court order that
the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes remain legal tender until December 31, 2023,
the situation kept getting worse.
He said workers could not access cash to pay fares to work
nor buy food for their families.
He also criticised the pricing irregularities in the
petroleum sector.
“Last week, we gave an ultimatum for the review of the cash
crunch bedeviling the country, but we have discovered to our dismay that as at
this moment not much effort has been made to ameliorate the situation,
government is still foot dragging on these issues we raised,” Ajaero said.
“Based on this, we
met again this morning to review our position and resolved that by Wednesday
next week all CBN branches will be picketed, workers are directed to stay at
home too because people cannot eat, workers can no longer go to the office, we
have been pushed to the wall.
“We have decided to take our destiny in our hands, we have
mobilised our workers on this exercise.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
This is highly commendable.
ReplyDeleteI also expected NLC to demand for upward review of the minimum wage.
The inflation is too high, workers can't afford to feed 3times per day, pay rent and transport themselves to work
Don't worry the government will shoot all of you. Nonsense
ReplyDeleteIs this person for real?
DeleteThe upward review of minimum should not be for federal workers alone that have been enjoying minium wage,
ReplyDeleteThis is a time for states to effect the minimum wage as well especially imo and Abia that refuse to add kobe since it's passage,
Their workers have suffered enough,
No implemention and many workers have died out of hardship