The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have suspended their planned nationwide strike, which was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
The strike was called off following a National Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, where labour union leaders discussed the scarcity of naira notes, fuel scarcity, and electricity tariff increases.
NLC President Joe Ajaero stated that after consulting with state councils across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, the unions decided to put the planned stay-at-home directive for workers on hold.
However, Ajaero warned that the NLC would resume the planned protest if the naira notes scarcity issue remains unresolved within two weeks.
In a bid to avert the impending strike, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, met with Congress leadership on Monday.
During the meeting, Emefiele assured the labour unions that steps were being taken to address the naira crunch and alleviate the suffering of the Nigerian masses.
The CBN governor revealed that a large volume of funds had been made available to deposit money banks, and these banks had been instructed to open their branches on Saturdays and Sundays. Emefiele confirmed that the banks had complied with the directive under the CBN’s strict supervision.
The labour unions’ decision to suspend the strike provides a reprieve for Nigerians as the government and CBN work to resolve the scarcity of naira notes and address other pressing issues facing the country.
