Fuel Subsidy: Suspend Planned Strike, Senate Begs NLC 

The Senate has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its planned strike slated for Wednesday, August 2, 2023 and give the government time to assuage the sufferings of the people.

According to the Senate, if NLC goes on strike, it will affect the economy of the country.

The Senate’s resolution calling on NLC to shelve the strike action followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Abdulrahman Suleiman Kawu (NNPP, Kano South), at plenary on Monday.

The Senate also resolved that its leadership should interface with the Labour Union leaders and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the need to halt the planned strike.

Kawu had said that the impending strike, if allowed to go happen, will bring bad reputation to the country and cripple the economy, adding that there was urgent need to avert the strike, which seven-day notice expires on Tuesday.

According to Kawu, all affiliated unions and the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are set to embark on the NLC strike.

“Notes that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to Reverse what the union termed as “anti-poor policies or face an indefinite nationwide strike from Wednesday 2nd August, 2023; Also notes that the NLC has directed all its affiliates and state councils to immediately begin mobilization of workers and other Nigerians, including civil society allies, for a long-lasting strike and mass protests;

“Aware that the labour movement in a statement signed by its National President accused the Federal Government of failing to meet up with the demands it presented to it following the removal of the subsidy on petrol, which caused an astronomical rise in the pump price of the commodity;

“Disturbed that the strike would cripple the country as movement would be severely curtailed as commercial transport operators would withdraw their services, while markets, schools and healthcare facilities would be forced to shut down;

“Further disturbed that the action could heat up the polity when it occurred, and the gains from the strike are far below the costs to either of the parties in conflict;

“Reflects that the strike threat by the NLC, if not averted, could plunge Nigeria into deeper economic woes, dislocate businesses, hunger, frustration, more hardship that would lead to unquantified financial losses and reduce Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP);

“Further aware that NLC strike is also a bad reputation for the Nigerian economy and the educational system because it portrays the country in a bad light to the external world and discourages foreigners from coming to do business or study in Nigeria;

“Concerned that the society always bears the brunt of strikes, like the saying that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop, increase in crime rate, social vices like armed robbery, oil bunkering, prostitution, cyber scams,” Kawu said and the Senate, accordingly resolved that its leadership should immediately interface with the Nigeria Labour Congress and President Tinubu in order to avert the impending strike of the NLC.