The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced its intent to disrupt the national economy in response to the severe economic challenges resulting from the Federal Government’s removal of subsidies. The labor union is set to embark on a two-day nationwide warning strike to draw attention to the plight of the nation.
This move has garnered widespread support from key stakeholders, including the banking sector, civil society organizations, and workers’ unions, who are all coming together to address the escalating economic crisis in the country.
On Monday, the National Union of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), representing workers in the banking and insurance industry, pledged its participation in the strike. This decision will effectively halt financial activities across Nigeria.
Mr. Mohammed Sheikh, General Secretary of NUBIFIE, emphasized the importance of their involvement in the NLC’s two-day warning strike, highlighting the urgent need to alert the government to the dire economic circumstances faced by Nigerians.
NUBIFIE’s leadership has issued a notice stating that all banks will be closed on Tuesday, September 5, and Wednesday, September 6, 2023, in alignment with the NLC’s directive for the strike.
“The directives are essential to bring the government’s attention to the situation and to caution it against meddling in union matters instead of addressing the challenging economic conditions we are currently enduring,” the statement underscored.
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Senior Deputy General Secretary of NUBIFIE, Mr. Aboderin Olusola, reiterated their commitment to the NLC’s cause and stressed the need for solidarity among industrial unions during these trying times.
Olusola stated, “The NLC issued directives to all industrial unions, and NUBIFIE had no choice but to disseminate that information to all our members and the management of banks and insurance companies in Nigeria.”
Joining the chorus of concern, the United Action Front of Civil Society has thrown its full support behind the NLC’s two-day warning strike.
In a statement signed by the Head of the National Coordinating Centre for the United Action Front of Civil Society, Wale Okunniyi, the organization expressed outrage over the hardship inflicted on Nigerians by the government’s decision to remove fuel subsidies and subsequently raise the price of premium motor spirit.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria has also endorsed the Nigerian Labour Congress’s decision to embark on the two-day warning strike. This endorsement was conveyed in a letter titled, “Compliance with the Nigerian Labour Congress directive on a nationwide two-day warning strike,” signed by the Head of Media, MWUN, John Ikemefuna.
