NLC to call off Strike

After three days of what it called nationwide warning strike last week, the Nigeria Labour Congress has scheduled a meeting of its National Executive Council, NEC, for Monday in Abuja.

The meeting on Monday is expected to be preceded by another by the National Administrative Council NAC, an organ of elected officers and the NEC, comprising representatives of all the Congress affiliates across the country.

That first meeting is scheduled for Sunday also in Abuja.

The warning strike began on Wednesday following government’s failure to accede to its demands to revert to the old fuel price of N86.50 per litre as well as reverse the electricity tariff hike imposed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission last January.

The strike action appeared to have been largely a failure in most states of the federation, as Nigerians ignored the call by the NLC and went about their normal businesses throughout the three days of the strike.

Although well meaning Nigerians have been making entreaties to the NLC to prevail on its members to shelve the strike, the scheduled meeting appears to be a forum for labour to consider these pleas, review its position and consider calling off the strike and return to the negotiation table with government on their demands.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said Sunday’s meeting would discuss­ the proposal by a national leader of the All Progressives Con­gress, Bola Tinubu, during his visit to the NLC secretariat in Abuja on Friday to appeal for the calling off of ­the strike.

During the visit, Mr. Wabba had said the decision to suspend or call off the strike could only be taken by the appropriate organ of the congress empowered to negotiate with government.

Other appeals that have gone to the NLC to shelve the strike came from the leadership of the National Assembly.

Key affiliates of the NLC, including the influential oil workers’ unions, namely the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, opted not to join the strike.