NLC ultimatum expires today, and a new strike is expected, The Nigeria Labour Congress, or NLC, will meet next week to decide when to start an indefinite nationwide strike as its ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the widespread hardship and anguish caused by the elimination of the gasoline subsidy expires today.
However, Vanguard learned that Senator Kashim Shettima, the vice president, has been speaking with some members of the government team on ways to stop the strike.
A package, including pay awards, is being put together by the Vice President, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Labor and Employment, Simon Lalong. This package will be sent to the NLC leadership.
You may recall that the NLC went on a two-day nationwide warning strike between Tuesday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 6 to protest, among other things, what they saw to be the government’s lack of concern for the needs and suffering of Nigerians, particularly workers, as a result of the subsidy removal.
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Prior to the warning strike, the National Executive Council, NEC, of the NLC had given the government until September 1, 2023, or 14 working days, to address the widespread, excruciating poverty and suffering. If this deadline had not been met, the NEC had threatened an indefinite strike.
Vanguard has informed that important NLC organs will meet next week to discuss the prolonged strike’s modalities if nothing meaningful is done to ease Nigerians’ suffering and misery as the 21-day ultimatum passes today.
According to a source, when an ultimatum expires, you call your organs, and they will determine when to start the strike. They would adopt that stance if we ever decided to claim that we would need a day, a few days, or a week to prepare.
One of the insiders with access to the NLC meetings remarked, when pressed to be more specific about whether the strike would start right now, simply, “Nothing is impossible.”
Government team trying to put off strike
However, the insider claimed that the government team is actively attempting to prevent yet another wave of NLC industrial disturbance based on the information that is now available.
He added that the vice president, who is filling in for the president while the president is in New York for the UNGA Summit, and the minister of finance were also evaluating some numbers.
They are coming out bravely, stating that they are not worried because of the package they have for workers, even if they are aware of the danger of the planned action.
“According to information now available, the government will soon reveal its holdings. Despite their best efforts, the President continues to be absent from the nation.
“We don’t know whether or not what they have will be sufficient for the NLC to take into account. The vice president has been meeting with members of the government team over the last two to three days to come up with something.
According to the source, the NLC leadership had stated that it would not attend any meetings if there were no concrete benefits for the workers.
An attempt to gain a response from the Presidency was unsuccessful since Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity, is currently abroad.
The president is in New York for the UNGA summit with the presidential spokesman.
Remember that NEC-in-session of NLC resolved to start a total and indefinite shutdown of the country within 14 working days or 21 days from today until steps are taken by the government to address the excruciating mass suffering and the impoverishment experienced throughout the country, as stated in a briefing last Friday following its NEC meeting.
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