LAGOS, Nigeria — A collective of influential unions across multiple sectors, including aviation and finance, has announced plans to join the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in a two-day warning strike on September 5th and 6th.
The strike aims to protest the economic hardship caused by the Nigerian government’s recent removal of fuel subsidies.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, September 4, 2023, by the General Secretaries of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, ANAP, and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, the unions declared their full support for the strike.
“As you are all aware, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed a 2-day nationwide warning strike due to the present regime of subsidy removal, which has wrecked untold hardship on workers and the common people generally,” the statement read. It directed aviation workers to remain at home during the period of the strike.
Comrade Ocheme Aba, General Secretary of NUATE, explained, “The directive is in line with our affiliation with the NLC and is aimed at expressing our collective frustration over the economic difficulties that this decision has imposed on us.”
The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees also echoed similar sentiments.
They announced their decision to direct all their members to withdraw their services on the same dates in a statement, citing the need to “get the needed attention of government and warn it off its new found love of meddling in the internal affairs of Unions rather than address the punishing economic circumstances we find ourselves.”
In addition to grappling with an economy battered by multiple challenges, including high inflation and unemployment, the removal of fuel subsidies has increased fuel prices and transportation costs, worsening the living conditions of millions of Nigerians.
“This is a clarion call for the government to reverse its decision on fuel subsidy removal and heed the plight of the masses. The strike is our way of saying enough is enough,” said Comrade Abdul Rasaq Saidu of ANAP.
With the unions representing critical sectors like aviation and financial institutions joining the strike, the impact is expected to be wide-ranging, potentially affecting everything from flight schedules to banking services.
While the Nigerian government has yet to respond to the upcoming strike, its implications could be severe for an already struggling economy.
Observers argue that this collective action underscores the urgency for the government to revisit its policies and negotiate with the unions to avert a larger crisis.
