The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has disclosed that plans have been concluded to hold a nationwide protest next week Wednesday.
The protest has become necessary as there is an attempt to move the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List by some political class.
It will also fight the idea to establish state judiciary councils through constitution amendments as well as the prevailing hoarding of the premium motor spirit known as “petrol” by petrol marketers in some major cities of Nigeria.
The NLC said the protests would will be carried to the National Assembly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and to the different state Houses of Assembly across Nigeria on the March 10, 2021.
The Union noted that their actions will make a strong statement that Nigeria workers would not lie low and watch hard fought rights, which are of global standards, bastardized by opportunistic and narrow thinking politicians.
Meanwhile, the president of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, had at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) emergency virtual meeting held at Labour House Auditorium in Abuja, on Tuesday, said the virtual meeting which comprises all the Presidents, General Secretaries and Treasurers of the NLC’s affiliate unions, chairpersons and secretaries of state councils and FCT as well as members of the National Administrative council, considered three major issues including the move by a section of Nigeria’s political class to move the national minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list.
The NLC president had also disclosed the NEC of the congress decided to empowered the National Administrative Council of the congress to declare and enforce a national strike action especially if the legislators continue on the ruinous path of moving the National minimum wage from the Exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.
He said NEC condemned and rejected in its entirety the ploy to decentralized Nigeria’s judiciary through the establishment of state judiciary councils, describing the move as unpatriotic, self-serving and an attempt to throw Nigeria into judiciary and social chaos.
On the current hoarding of petrol and the attendant scarcity, Comrade Wabba called on the relevant regulatory agencies of government to rise up to the protection of the interests of the majority of Nigerians from the exploitative hands of market forces who are bent on making maximal profits from the suffering of fellow citizens.
He however, warned that should the current artificial scarcity persist, various leadership structures of the NLC would picket petrol stations found to be inflicting pains on Nigerians.
