The Nigeria Labour Congress has suspended its nationwide protest and extended the ultimatum given to the federal government to March 13.
The labour union had declared a two-day nationwide protest over what it described as unmet demands by the federal government as well as the prevailing hardship across the country.
The Labour Party, in a communiqué at the end of its National Executive Council meeting this evening, said the objectives of the protest were achieved on the first day of the demonstration.
The statement read, “Consequently, NEC-in-session resolved as follows: to suspend street action for the second day of the protest, having achieved overwhelming success and thus attained the key objectives of the 2-day protest on the first day.
Nigeria is battling rising inflation, food inflation, the forex crisis, economic hardship, and the high cost of living occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidies, attracting protests in parts of the country.
The Presidency had engaged labour leaders in last-minute talks on Monday night, but the meeting ended in a stalemate as the NLC insisted that the protest was going to hold.
Subsequently, the NLC grounded economic activities across the country on Tuesday, with labour leader Joe Ajaero, saying that the protest was about hunger and not just a clamour for a review of the minimum wage.
“You have to understand it. This protest is about hunger.
What of those who are not working? The minimum wage, when will it be completed? When will it be implemented?
What will be the minimum wage that will remove hunger?”
“However, nationwide action continues tomorrow with simultaneous press conferences across all the states of the federation by the state councils of the Congress, including the National Headquarters.
“To reaffirm and extend the 7-day ultimatum by another 7 days, which now expires on the 13th day of March 2024 within which the government is expected to implement all the earlier agreements of the 2nd day of October 2023 and other demands presented in our letter during today’s nationwide protest.”
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