The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has embarked on a two-day nationwide protest today over the reopening of public universities for academic activities and has revealed its preparedness to begin a three-day warning strike from 28th July 2022 immediately after its ongoing rally.
The NLC via its president Mr Ayuba Wabba has noted that the supposed warning strike might end up being indefinite if the federal government fails to meet up with its demands by resolving its lingering academic issues that have kept public varsities students home for the past five months.
According to him, the labour movement has mobilised workers across the country for a nationwide protest in all the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, that commences today. He said the irony of it was that most of the political elites today benefited from free public education, wondering why it had been impossible for them to fix our public education.
However, ahead of today’s nationwide protest, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) has advised company owners and businesses not to shut down operations today and tomorrow in response to the workers’ solidarity protest with the university-based workers’ unions.
In a statement signed by the NECA’s Deputy Director and Head, Membership Services, Adewale Oyerinde, the association said the disruptive protest would no doubt further compound the economic fortunes of businesses and Nigerians in general.
NECA however urged its members and owners of businesses not to close their offices since NLC had assured that it was holding a protest and not a strike.
He also advised companies to consider taking extra security measures, should the protest be hijacked by hoodlums. He said the association had engaged the leadership of the NLC in the protest.
According to him, “during our engagement, NECA emphasised that while the continued closure of the universities is a serious cause for concern to all stakeholders, a disruptive protest, no doubt, will further compound the economic fortunes of businesses and Nigerians in general.
“We, therefore, wish to inform you that the NLC leadership affirmed that the protest would be a peaceful rally and not a strike, which should not lead to business closure. Affiliate unions of the NLC are expected to mobilise some personnel to join the protest for the two days, while normal business activity is expected to continue in all enterprises.”
Lalong Directs Security Agents to Crackdown on Protesters in Plateau. However, the Plateau state government has issued a stern warning against the planned protest in the state, putting security agents on the alert to crack down on protesters.
The government said it would not fold its hands and watch the state plunged into chaos by the labour unions.
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