Total Lockdown Loading
OpenLife News reports that Nigeria may be heading for a total shutdown as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ordered its affiliates, state councils and civil society allies to start mobilizing for nationwide action.
The directive comes after a crucial meeting between organised labour and the Federal Government at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja yesterday ended in deadlock.
According to the NLC, the government team came unprepared and without the mandate to take decisions, leaving all workers’ demands hanging.
Why NLC Is Angry
Labour is demanding four major things:
Reduction of petrol price from the current N1,400 per litre back to 2024 levels
Fresh renegotiation of the national minimum wage
Implementation of agreed tax relief measures
Immediate resolution of pending agreements with JOHESU and JPSNC over peculiar allowances, wage awards and hazard allowances.
With crude oil now selling above $100 in the international market, there are fears that petrol may even go beyond N1,400 – a situation the NLC says Nigerian workers can no longer bear.
What Happened At The Meeting
In a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the NLC expressed disappointment that the FG delegation arrived Abuja without authorisation to negotiate.
Because of that, the Minister of Labour begged for an adjournment till Tuesday, October 27, to enable relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to be present.But NLC says its patience is running out.
Total Lockdown Looms
The Congress said it will report the outcome to its highest organs – the National Executive Council (NEC) and the Central Working Committee (CWC) – which will decide the next line of action if the October 27 meeting fails again.
While urging workers to remain calm for now, the NLC has placed all its structures on red alert and asked them to commence mobilisation for possible nationwide action.
“We remain committed to pursuing workers’ and the wider population’s interests through all legitimate means,” the statement said.
With next Tuesday’s meeting now seen as make-or-mar, Nigerians are anxiously watching whether the government will shift ground or the country will be plunged into another total lockdown.
About Author
