The Nigeria Labour Congress on Wednesday asked the Federal Government to reverse what it described as “anti-poor” and anti-workers policies within seven days or risk a nationwide strike.
The policies listed by the NLC include the recent petrol price hike, the increase in school fees and the Value Added Tax increase.
However, many Nigerians have expressed doubts that the strike would hold as planned, with some saying the labour would chicken out at the last minutes at it had done in the past.
Daily Trust takes a look at five times the labour union had suspended planned nationwide strike over crucial matters.
2003
In 2003 during the former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, the Nigerian labour unions suspended a planned strike aimed at protesting a hike in fuel price.
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The strike, which was planned to begin on Thursday, was called off late Wednesday night, following extensive talks between union leaders and representatives of petroleum products marketing companies, as state governors mediated.
Adams Oshiomhole was the president of the umbrella union, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) then.
The price of petrol had risen from N39.90 ($0.31) to N45 naira ($0.34) per litre.
2018
Again, in Novemver 2018, the organized labour called off the nationwide strike scheduled to commence on a Tuesday.
The industrial action was meant to press home workers’ demand for an upward review of minimum wage.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) then, Ayuba Wabba, said the decision to suspend the industrial action was taken after agreements were reached and documents signed.
After an extensive meeting of more than seven hours, the union delegation and the federal government delegation arrived at different figures.
While labour insisted on N30,000, the government delegation proposed N24,000.
2020
In 2020 the labour unions suspended their planned nationwide protest and strike over an increase in electricity tariff and petrol price in the country then.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had scheduled September 28 for a nationwide rally to protest the hikes, but they later called off the protests.
The strike was suspended after a midnight meeting with a federal government team at the presidential villa, Abuja.
However, an agreement was reached that both parties would review their decision in two weeks to see if their agreement with the government would be fulfilled.
March 2023
Currency swap introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the suspended governor of the bank, Godwin Emefiele, hit Nigerians hard.
The development prompted the labour union to declare intention to go on strike to demand availability of the naira in banks across the country.
But following slight improvement in availability of naira notes in the commercial banks, the NLC resolved to suspend its planned strike.
The NLC, which had threatened to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike, said it would picket all branches of the CBN from March 29th if the federal government failed to end the liquidity squeeze, which had affected businesses and commercial transactions among Nigerians.
June 2023
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) suspended a nationwide strike scheduled for June 7 over the removal of fuel subsidy, following a meeting with the government at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu had during his inauguration on May 29, abruptly announced fuel subsidy removal, which saw the price of petrol going up by over 200%
The development caused fuel shortages and price hikes across the country.
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