TheCable

The Civil Society and Workers Dialogue Forum (CSWDF), a civil society organisation (CSO), has opposed the planned indefinite strike action by organised labour.

On Tuesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) directed its members to embark on a mass strike action from October 3.

Before then, Simon Lalong, minister of labour and employment, said the federal government was working to avert the strike.

Labour is protesting the country’s economic hardship, particularly the removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit (PMS), better known as petrol.

In a statement on Thursday, Bashir Faisal and Rafiu Shaibu, conveners of CSWDF, wondered what the strike would achieve since the federal government is already in talks with labour for a wage increase.

They said their group would embark on a protest to counter that of the NLC and TUC.

“The wage increase of workers is being negotiated with NLC constituting membership of the committee, hence we are appalled at what the proposed strike intends to achieve,” the statement reads.

“As opposed to the past, the NLC has always been on the negotiation table before any decision was taken by this administration.

“We recalled that in June this year, the Union was in talks with the FG over fuel subsidy removal without carrying other stakeholders along which we protested our exclusion.

“Having agreed with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, only for the workers Union to recant and propose an indefinite strike is counter-productive and we will mobilise our members across the 36 States and FCT for anti-NLC protest.

“This statement should serve as official notice to the Director of State Service DSS, IGP and other Security agencies, that we are going to mobilise to streets against NLC on 3rd October, 2023.”

Three weeks ago, labour had embarked on a two-day warning strike.