The organization characterized the proposed walkout as an act of sabotage and intentional mischief, asserting that the union shown a lack of sensitivity towards its role in the ongoing talks with the Federal Government regarding the deadlock surrounding the elimination of fuel subsidies.
In a statement released on Thursday, the group's convener, Abubakar Ibrahim, together with co-conveners Bashir Faisal and Rafiu Shaibu, expressed their assurance of support in the event that the two workers' unions choose to pursue a course of nobility.
As to the CSO, the Nigeria Labour Congress has expressed complete agreement with the decision to withdraw the fuel subsidy, a stance they had previously pushed for. They also emphasized that the removal of this subsidy, which has been a longstanding burden on the government, should get support from all relevant parties.
The committee, recognizing the challenges encountered by Nigerians, elucidated that the Federal Government has undertaken strategic measures to rehabilitate the refineries with the aim of mitigating the expenses associated with the importation of petrol and gas.
The recent allocation of N5 billion worth of palliative resources to each of the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is considered a part of the mitigation strategies implemented until the situation returns to normal. It is important to note that no government, regardless of location, takes pleasure in the suffering of its citizens.
The negotiation of employees' wage increase is currently underway with the participation of the NLC, which comprises members of the committee. Consequently, we find the objectives of the proposed strike to be deeply concerning.
In contrast to previous practices, the NLC has consistently been included in the negotiation process prior to the implementation of any decisions made by the current administration.
It was noted that in June of this year, the Union engaged in discussions with the Federal Government over the removal of fuel subsidies, without adequately involving other relevant stakeholders. This exclusion of stakeholders prompted our criticism.
The decision by the workers Union to retract their previous agreement with President Bola Tinubu's government and instead suggest an indefinite strike is deemed counterproductive. In response, we intend to mobilize our members from all 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to participate in an anti-NLC protest.
The CSO emphasized that this statement is intended to function as a formal notification to the Director of State Service DSS, IGP, and other security services. It states that there is an intention to organize a mobilization on the streets against the NLC on the 3rd of October, 2023.
The group noted that certain states had procured buses for public transit and have additionally contributed funding to supplement the federal government's allocation to them, asserting that the proposed strike was unwarranted.
Consequently, it urged individuals to refrain from allowing themselves to be manipulated to act against the authentic interests of the country.