13th March, 2023
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday issued seven days ultimatum to the Federal Government to end cash crunch and fuel crisis or face indefinite strike by workers.
NLC’s national president, Comrade Joseph Ajaero gave the ultimatum in Abuja at the inaugural meeting of the Congress’ Central Working Committee (CWC).
,Ajaero said the congress wished to inform the federal government that worker would no longer keep quiet on this issue of perennial fuel scarcity and arbitrary increase of petroleum products prices.
He said on the issue of cash crunch, the NLC is giving the federal government, the agencies of government including the Central Bank of Nigeria, and top banking institutions, seven working days to address the issue of the cash crunch.
According to him, if they failed to do this at the expiration of the seven days, the congress would direct all workers in the country to stay at home because it has become very difficult to even assess one naira to enter vehicles to their workplace.
“It is difficult, for even difficult to buy products, especially from traders who don’t have bank accounts. This is the situation we have found ourselves.
“The federal government came out with the policy that even the old currency are still valid, what we have discovered is that even when the banks give you those old currencies, the traders are not accepting it and even when you take it to the same banks, the banks are not accepting it either, we are being frustrated to a level that we can no longer keep quiet,” he said.
Ajaero said in terms of the political situation in the country, the Congress is urging all gladiators to remember that the interest of this country is paramount to all and that they should do everything reasonably possible to make sure that the system is maintained.
“The courts are there where they will take their matters to and we urge the courts to do justice to the issues brought to them,” he stated.