NLC strike enters Day 2

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate groups have restrategised on how to make sure the second day of their industrial action is a huge success.

The labour unions in the country had commenced an indefinite strike on Wednesday, May 18, to ask for the reversal of fuel pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol from the N145 which the removal of fuel subsidy pegged it.

 This was in spite of a court injunction restraining them from carrying out same action, especially after the federal government, in a meeting with the union leaders on Tuesday night, had agreed to have a committee to review the fuel pump price and the minimum wage issue.

There was an impediment on their movement in Lagos as police officers tried to stop them from moving towards Airport Road in Ikeja area of the state, but the unionists told the security operatives that there were supposed to support and not stop them in the struggle.

One of the placards on display on the first day of the industrial action.
And even when a vast majority of Nigerians decided to ignore the industrial action and stay at home, the protesters insisted that their demonstration on the first day for sensitisation of Nigerians.

To compound matters, only a handful of states complied with the directives of NLC’s national body as there have been reports of discord within the caucus of the union but the union insisted Wednesday, that their members would storm the streets on Thursday until their requests have been granted by the federal government.

“There will be no work tomorrow (Thursday) because we are all in this together and it is because of the people that we are on the streets.

“Believe me, we shall be more than this number tomorrow because other members will join us. We are not alone in this struggle, it is about the suffering masses, the oppressed, the downtrodden,” one of the union leaders told news men during the first day of the protest.

In the statement signed by Peter Ozo-Eson, NLC’s secretary general, the union added: “No level of comfort today or primordial sentiments should blind us to the cruel realities of the increase in the pump price of the petroleum products as what we are seeing is just the beginning.”