October 3 Strike: NLC Will Only Back Down If—Labour Spokesman

<h4>October 3 Strike<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that following the boycott of an emergency meeting between the organised labour&comma; comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress&comma; the Trade Union Congress and the Federal Government on Friday which was scheduled for 3pm at the Presidential Villa&comma; Abuja&comma; tension has mounted across the country over possible devastation outcome of such industrial action&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Federal Government had called an emergency meeting with the leaders of the organised labour at the Conference Room of the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Among other goals&comma; Friday’s meeting was meant to talk the labour movement out of its planned nationwide strike from Tuesday&comma; October 3&comma; 2023&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>On September 26&comma; the NLC and TUC disclosed plans to commence an indefinite strike on October 3 to protest the cost of living crisis after the scrapping of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu during his inauguration on May 29&comma; 2023&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The unions also directed their state chapters and affiliates to mobilise for the shutdown of critical facilities and infrastructure such as airports&comma; seaports&comma; electricity grids and fuel supply nationwide&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;It’s going to be a total shutdown…until the government meets the demand of Nigerian workers&comma; and in fact&comma; Nigerian masses&comma;” the union leaders affirmed in a joint statement on Tuesday&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>They accused the Federal Government of refusing to &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;meaningfully engage and reach agreements with organised labour on critical issues of the consequences of the unfortunate hike in the price of petrol&comma; which has unleashed massive suffering on Nigeria workers and masses&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Speaking on the proposed strike on Saturday on Arise TV&comma; spokesman of the labour union&comma; Comrade Benson Upah said there is no going back on the strike slated for October 3&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Nothing has changed&period; We are ready for the strike&comma; except if Tinubu demonstrates political will to do the needful and show empathy for the people&comma;” he stated emphatically&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;vanguardngr&period;com&sol;">He explained that the All Progressives Congress&comma; APC led administration has unleashed pains on Nigerians which provoked the proposed strike by labour union&period;<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;President Tinubu did not hit the ground running as been bandied by his promoters&period; His policies have caused pains &comma; fears&comma; suffering&comma; impoverishment and hunger in the land due to the hike in the price of petrol&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Further&comma; Comrade Benson Upah clarified that there has never been disunity between Nigeria Labour Congress&comma; NLC and the Trade Union Congress&comma; TUC&comma; as being speculated in several quarters&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;