The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warn that it will commence a “total” strike beginning from Monday 14th August 2023, if Federal government refused to withdraw the court summon to Congress latest by Friday 11th August 2023.
According to Congress, the federal ministry of Justice through the NICN “has continued to allow itself to be used as a vehicle to truncate the dominance of the tenets of democracy and muzzle/silence the voices of Nigerian workers”, by serving a summons on the leadership of the NLC and TUC to answer to contempt of court charges despite the provisions of the constitution to the contrary and the objective realities.
This was was part of resolutions reached at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the NLC, contained in a communique signed by it’s President Comrade Joe Ajaero and General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja on Thursday in Abuja.
This came as NEC in session also resolved to suspend it’s nationwide mass protest while keenly watching the National Assembly and President keep to their word of attending to issues around the hike in petroleum price hike as agreed on or before 19th of August, 2023.
The communique partly reads: “To go on total strike across the country any day labour leaders are summoned to Court by the government through the NICN
“To go on total strike across the country any day labour leaders are summoned to Court by the government through the NICN
“To demand the immediate withdrawal of this litigious terrorism by the Federal Ministry of Justice before the end of work Friday, the 11th of August, 2023
“To embark on a nationwide comprehensive strike beginning Monday 14th of August, 2023 if this contemptuous Court summons are not withdrawn by whosoever initiated it.”
Commending the effective coordination of Wednesday’s protest where Nigerians where able to “express their outrage over the huge suffering and impoverishment pervading the landscape,” NEC -in-session noted that concrete agreements were reached during the closed-door meeting between President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and leaders of Congress and TUC.
“The President personally guaranteed action on the following areas: Committed to an immediate restructuring of the framework for engaging the consequences of the PMS price hike in line with the input of the Labour leaders
“The assurance that the Portharcourt Refinery will commence production by December this year. The pledge to ensure that Agreement is reached on the Wage.
“Award for Nigerian workers immediately. The promise to unveil a workable road map to the CNG alternative next week.”
