By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Edo State on Tuesday shut the State Secretariat located along Benin-Sapele road, Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The organized labour also barred entrance into the State High Court premises in compliance with a two-day warning strike by the NLC national leadership.
METROWATCHXTR.COM gathered that the Election Petitions Tribunals for the National Assembly and State House of Assembly had scheduled judgements in two petitions for today but had to adjourn till Thursday following the development.
Recall that the Edo NLC had in a statement warned workers to remain at home and stay away from offices or be embarrassed following the strike directive by the union’s national leadership.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, last Friday, announced the warning strike in protest against the Federal Government’s failure to address the challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
The labour union is accusing the Federal Government of abandoning negotiations and failing to implement some of the resolutions from previous meetings with the government.
On August 2, the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliate unions protested what it described as the anti-people policies of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The protest followed a seven-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government demanding “the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of the federal government including the recent hike in PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) price, increase in public school fees, the release of the eight months withheld salary of university lecturers and workers”.
The organised labour also demanded an upward review of the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000, saying that since the President’s “subsidy is gone” inauguration speech of May 29, 2023, the peace of mind of Nigerians has gone.
Several meetings between the Presidency and the unions on palliatives for Nigerians suffering hardship in the wake of the petrol subsidy removal ended in deadlock.
