NLC suspends economic hardship protest

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its two-day protest all over the country.

The Congress had on Tuesday led Nigerians out to protest the current economic hardship in the country.

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had last week planned a nationwide rally for February 27 and February 28 to protest the rising prices of food items and other costs of living in the country.

TUC, however, withdrew from the protest last Saturday.

A last-minute meeting between the Federal Government and organized labour to stave off the protest ended in a stalemate on Monday night.

READ ALSO: HARDSHIP: NLC protest reaches National Assembly, crowd chants ‘ole’ (Video)

The NLC announced the suspension of the protest in a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday evening in Abuja.

It added that the objectives of the protest were achieved on the first day of the nationwide rally.

The union also extended the seven-day ultimatum handed to the federal government to address its demands by another seven days.

The ultimatum will now expire on March 13.

The communiqué 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.

“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 agreement of the 2nd day of October, 2023 and other demands presented in our letter during today’s nationwide protest.

“To meet and decide on further lines of action if on the expiration of the 14 days government refuses to comply with the demands as contained in the ultimatum.”

 

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