TELL Magazine

The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC has suspended the much-advertised industrial action planned to take off throughout the country on Tuesday October 3,2023. 

A statement released by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC on Monday night said the action has been suspended for 30 days to enable organised labour to monitor the implementation of the measures put in place by the government to ease the pains of Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy. Prior to the release of that statement, labour leaders had sworn to go ahead with the strike. 

It did not state anything that may have convinced labour leaders to arrive at a decision to suspend the action. There were last minute meetings between labour and officials of the federal government even after President Bola Tinubu announced an additional ₦25,000 wage for low-income earners for the next six months, among other measures. That amount was increased to ₦35,000 after the government meeting with labour, an indication that the government made concessions to the labour leaders. Government had also pleaded with the labour unions to reconsider the decision to go on strike, arguing that aside from the damage such would do to the economy, it will also hamper the implementation of the measures it has agreed to take to mitigate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal. This, it said, was that workers who are supposed to carry out the measures announced by it would not have access to their offices.