Tinubu govt has failed us, no going back on nationwide strike – TUC

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) asserted on Wednesday that the planned indefinite strike organized by labor was non-negotiable.

Following an announcement by the TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday, the nation braces for an economic shutdown starting October 3, intensifying pressure on the Federal Government to address their demands.

At the core of the organized labor’s demands is a plea for the government to implement measures that alleviate the hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.

Despite numerous meetings with the government, negotiations have hit an impasse, leading to the imminent strike action.

During an interview on Arise TV, TUC President Festus Osifo emphasized that the strike was a last resort, emphasizing that the organized labor had exhausted all other avenues to advocate for their demands.

Osifo pointed out that ample time had passed for the government to devise palliative measures to mitigate the consequences of subsidy removal.

“Strike is always our last resort, and that is why we embarked on this lengthy journey. It was about four months ago that the fuel subsidy was removed,” stated Osifo.

He further expressed disappointment in the lack of proactive action from President Bola Tinubu and urged the government to act swiftly to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal.

“For any government that’s concerned about the plight of the people, four months is sufficient time for them to have designed a framework for the way forward.

“So for the House of Representatives that said we should be patient, we have earlier met with the Senate President who promised us that he was going to meet with the President and get back to us in one week but up till now, we have not heard from him.

“We have exhausted all the tools we have and that is why we are deploring the last option.”