ABUJA, Nigeria – The Trade Union Congress, TUC, has called on the Nigerian Federal Government to reverse its decision to remove the fuel subsidy.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in its own stance, threatens a nationwide strike if the fuel subsidy removal and fuel price increase issues are not addressed.
TUC President, Festus Osifo, addressed the press at the end of an emergency meeting of the congress’s National Executive Council, NEC, in Abuja on Friday, June 2, 2023.
Osifo conveyed the TUC’s dissatisfaction with the unilateral decision of the government to remove the fuel subsidy, suggesting that organised labour should have been engaged in these decisions.
He said, “We wish to state that the NEC-in-session resolved that discussions with the Federal Government should continue while demanding that the government should revert to the status quo ante.”
Osifo elaborated that the TUC’s stance will be influenced by the government’s response to their demands.
“We will wait till Sunday when we will meet with the representatives of the government. Once we are done with that meeting then the TUC is going to put its demands forward, it is how they react to those demands that will determine our next line of action,” he added.
In a parallel development, the Nigeria Labour Congress, following its own NEC meeting, has announced plans to embark on a nationwide strike from June 7, 2023, unless the government addresses their concerns about the fuel subsidy removal and the consequent hike in fuel prices.
