Warning Strike: State NLC Mobilises Members For Tomorrow’s Industrial Action

The state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have started the mobilisation of its members towards the two-day warning strike to commence on Tuesday.

Recall that the labour union on Friday disclosed it would be holding a two-day warning strike starting from September 5, 2023.

The NLC decided after the conclusion of its National Executive Council (NEC) earlier on Friday.

The union said the two-day warning strike was in preparation for a total shutdown, which will start in 21 days.

The union had earlier met with the government to discuss, still, it insists on protesting against what it describes as the failure of President Bola Tinubu’s government to enter into dialogue and engage stakeholders within the organised labour on efforts to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol on the “poor masses.”

So in preparation for tomorrow’s warning strike, some states have confirmed the mobilization of members to join the industrial action at the state level.

Speaking to The Punch, the Chairman of the NLC Lagos chapter, Mrs Agnes Sessi, said Lagos NLC would join the nationwide strike.

“We are under the authority of our national leadership, and whatever is decided at the national level is binding on us. So, yes, we are joining the strike,” Sessi affirmed.

Also, the Kano State NLC chairman, Kabiru Inuwa, has confirmed the state is joining the strike.

He said, “We are going to hold our State Executive Council meeting today (Sunday) around 3:00p.m. to finalise the arrangements for the commencement of the warning strike on Tuesday.

“So, we are going to join the strike as directed by the national headquarters of our union because we attended the NEC where the decision was reached.”

Similarly, the Ekiti State chairman of the union, Kolapo Olatunde, said members in Ekiti State would join the two-day warning strike if the Federal Government did not do the needful to avert it

Olatunde submitted that “If the needful is not done before then, we have to mobilise members for it.

“There is correspondence towards the decision; there is communique to that effect from the national that is already with our members. It is a collective decision.”

His Sokoto State counterpart, Abdullahi Jungle, also told the platform that council members are due for a meeting on Sunday on the modalities.

He noted, “Yes, we are joining the strike as we are already mobilising our members for the strike.

“We are holding a meeting today on how to go about it, but I can assure you that we will join the strike,”

On his part, the General Secretary of the NLC in Gombe State, Ibrahim Fika, also confirmed the state’s participation in the strike.

According to him, the union in the state will only mobilise by Monday after its State Executive Council meeting.

He said, “This is national. Even if we don’t mobilise, the industrial union headquarters will mobilise them. But for us in Gombe State, we will possibly have our State Executive meeting on Monday because we just returned from Abuja on Friday, and today is the weekend.

“I’m very sure the headquarters will communicate to them, but nevertheless, we will have our SEC meeting on Monday so that immediately, which is the next day, we will go for action.”

The Bauchi State Chapter of the NLC has also confirmed its preparedness for the industrial action.

The State NLC chairman, Comrade Shu’aibu Dauda, stated, “We are going by the tradition of the NLC that whenever you attend a NEC, on coming back to your state, you’ll call for a State Executive Council meeting where all the affiliates will be there and you discuss, and you convey the National Secretariat’s resolution. That is exactly what we will be doing tomorrow (Monday).

“We are ready to join the strike because it is a directive from the National Secretariat, and this has been unanimously agreed by all the NLC chapters in Nigeria with no exception.”