Nigeria’s major labour unions say they are stepping back from their initial plan to start a sweeping strike in protest of the removal of fuel subsidy that has seen prices triple in the last week.
The strike, scheduled for Wednesday, will no longer go forward, the two unions said Monday after a meeting with a federal government team led by speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. Mr Gbajabiamila is to soon transition to the role of chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu.
– Key points to note
The two sides issued a statement saying the strike is suspended o allow further talks. The document was signed by the president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero; the president of the TUC, Festus Osifo; and Kachollom Daju, permanent secretary Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Both sides said they will form a joint committee to review a proposal for the government to increase workers’ salary in response to the subsidy removal, amongst other resolutions. They will also review the government’s plan to repair the refineries and fix roads.
The labour unions are to meet again with the government to meet on June 19, two weeks away.
The agreement came after Justice Olufunke Anuwe of the National Industrial Court on Monday in Abuja ruled that the labour unions halt the proposed strike on the request of the federal government.
– Why this matters
President Bola Tinubu’s comment last Monday that “fuel subsidy is gone” has caused hardship in the last week as petrol prices and cost of transportation have since tripled.
The state-owned NNPC Ltd. announced new rates on Wednesday, with a litre of petrol selling as high as N557 in some cities, from less than N200 – making the margin of increase the widest in 30 years.
Nigerians have struggled to commute to their workplaces amid existing decades-high inflation.
In threatening a strike last week, the NLC said the government’s decision to increase the price of petrol while talks were ongoing amounted to an “ambush”. It demanded a reversal before talks would continue.
“Nigerians would not accept any manipulations of any kind from any of the parties especially from the representatives of the Government,” NLC president Joe Ajaero said in a statement Wednesday.
The NLC said the price change showed the federal government “is actually trying to scuttle” negotiations.
Multiple unions, including electricity and judicial workers, said they would take part in the strike.
Ride-hailing drivers also signed up for the action. Drivers accused Uber, Bolt, Rida, and Indriver of refusing to increase prices for trips to cover the increase in the fuel price.
The group said they requested a review of transport fares last Friday, to include setting minimum trip fares at N2,000, upward review of transport fares by 200% but the companies have refused to oblige.
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